After the End
by Lee McBride
Summary: A continuation of the story from the end of the cartoon
1. Survival After the Isle of Doom

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After The End – Chapter 

Lucas slowly walks down the building's hall and arrives at Cybersix's door – Adrian's door, he reminds himself. He raises his hand to knock and hesitates. _I'm afraid of what I might find _he realizes. Then he knocks.

For a very long moment there is only silence and Lucas can feel his heart sinking. But then the doorknob turns, slowly; the door opens wide to reveal the apartment, but no one is inside.

Puzzled, Lucas walks in and looks around. He hears a soft noise behind him and turns in time to see Cybersix quickly closing the door.

"You're alive!" The exclamation comes out as a whisper.

Still leaning against the door, she gives him one of her characteristic half-smiles. "Lucas."

"You're alright! What happened? How could you possibly have survived that explosion?"

Cybersix moves away from the door. "I was lucky. I thought quickly and… my suit protected me." She walks quickly over to her bed. "But Data 7 wasn't so lucky".

The panther is lying on the bed, an expression of pain on his face. Gently, Cybersix pulls back the wet blanket over him to reveal the burns that cover his back.

Lucas winces and comes over for a closer look. "I think those are second degree burns. They're serious, but if we take care of them, I think he'll be okay."

Cybersix nods slightly. "Help me, then, please."

Together they silently tend to Data 7's wounds and when they finish he has fallen asleep. "Let him rest now". Cybersix says. She motions towards the inner room and Lucas quickly follows. She turns as she reaches the other side of the room and, unable to contain himself any longer, he walks over and embraces her.

"I'm so relieved!" He says. "Cybersix, I love you. I should have told you that before, but now we don't-"

"It doesn't matter, Lucas."

Taken aback, Lucas looks her in the face. "It doesn't matter that I love you?"

"No! That's not what I meant." Cybersix pushes him away from her, looks at the floor, then back at him. "I'm going to die anyway."

"What?!"

"The sustenance, Lucas. Most of it is gone, and with VonReichter dead…"

Lucas abruptly turns away from her and sighs in exasperation. On the floor he can see the remains of her hat and cape, both burnt and torn almost beyond recognition. "You knew this could happen when you went after him."

"Yes. I did". She answers simply.

A moment passes. Lucas turns back to her. "Is there none left anywhere?"

"Well, there might be some at Jose's mansion, but it would only last-"

"Then let's go get it." He interrupts her. "Maybe there's a way… I am a scientist… maybe if I got a sample of that stuff I could figure it out."

Cybersix looks up into his eyes. "You really think so?"

"Well… I don't know, but I damn will try."

She is still for another moment. "Okay. Just let me check on Data 7."

Later that night, in the basement of Jose's mansion, Cybersix forces open a heavily locked door. "This way, I think." The house is as silent as a tomb.

Together they enter a large stone chamber, the harsh lights making the walls painfully bright. In the center of the room is a pit of sustenance, dug out of the bare stone. It is only about a third of the way full.

"Just as I thought." Cybersix says.

Without answering, Lucas starts towards the pit. Only to be stopped cold as Cybersix grabs him by the arm. He turns to her, a hurt look on his face.

"Sorry," she says, realizing she'd grabbed him harder than she'd intended. "But you shouldn't touch that stuff! It's poisonous to humans."

"It is?" Lucas' brow furrows. How could she be so different from him that what was poisonous to him was life-saving to her?

"Give me the vials." Lucas hands her the vials they took from Jose's lab and she goes to the pit to fill them. He takes the chance of going a few steps closer.

"You know, there is a lot of it here." He says. "When those vials are empty, we can come back for more."

"I'm not so sure about that."

"Why?"

"Cybersix!" Both of them turn toward the doorway where the voice came from.

"Jose!" There is a moment of stunned silence as all three people get over their combined shock. "You're alive?" Cybersix says incredulously.

"What did you… How did you… " Jose yanks at his hair in exasperation. "AAHH!!" With that simple exclamation, he takes off back through the door.

Cybersix gets a sneaky suspicion. "Lucas, get out" she says, pointing at a tunnel that exits the other side of the room. "I've got to go find out what he's up to."

"But I can help-."

She shakes her head. "It's too dangerous for you with that pit in here. Now go!"

Lucas sighs and shakes his head, then obediently heads for the tunnel.

"I'll meet you at the top." Cybersix yells over her shoulder as she runs to the door Jose disappeared from.

No sooner does she enter the corridor that Jose comes around the far corner, followed by three Fixed Ideas. "Get her!"

Cybersix keeps right on running, taking the fight to them. She jumps over Jose's head and with all her gathered momentum delivers a kick to the nearest Fixed Idea that's enough to send him sprawling. One of the others grabs her ankle and she lets him pull her in, then jabs him square in the nose when she gets within reach. He lets her go, putting both hands to his nose in pain. She hits the floor and ducks just in time to miss a flying left hook by the third goon. She sees an opening and plants her fist solidly in his stomach. Then she casually steps out of the way as he falls on his face.

Cybersix pauses and looks around. All three Fixed Ideas are down and no others seem to be coming. Jose is having one of his temper tantrums, alternately screaming threats at both her and the Fixed Ideas. She decides to make a break for it; right now getting that sustenance and returning to Lucas is more important than dealing with Jose.

At the other end of the corridor, Sylvester retreats from the corner he's been peeking around. So Cybersix is still alive? He knows he shouldn't really wait any longer, and right now Jose is distracted. Without another moment's thought he runs up the basement steps, through the mansion, and out into the night.

Lucas stands outside the tunnel entrance, scuffing his feet in the mud while his mind races. He hears footsteps approaching and Cybersix appears from the shadows, carrying the four vials of sustenance.

"Oh, you got them." Lucas remarks, thinking afterward how inadequate a thing this is to say.

"Yes."

"Can I take one now, to do some tests on it?" He asks, holding out his hand.

"Okay. But Lucas, be careful with it. Remember what I told you."

He only nods in return.

Cybersix looks up at the thin crescent moon, then back at Lucas. "I should check on Data 7."

Lucas nods again. "I'll… call you if I discover anything."

She turns to leave, then hesitates. With all the excitement she has forgotten that Lucas now knows she is Adrian, and so he has her phone number. "Be careful." She says to him again, before leaping away.

In the dimly lit high school science lab, Lucas looks at his watch. Three a.m. He rubs his aching head and sighs, then stares once more at the enigmatic vial of sustenance in front of him. He's been here three hours and he still can't make heads or tails out of it. "I'm out of my league here," he says aloud. He knew this would happen – he isn't really a chemist, but he was just so desperate for something that could save Cybersix.

"But I have to do _something_." Lucas hesitates another minute before making up his mind. He quickly gathers up his things and leaves the lab.

Cybersix returns to her apartment to find Data 7 in worse shape than he was before. His breathing is shallow and his eyes are squeezed shut in pain.

"Brother, are you okay?" Data 7 makes no noise in response, only opens his eyes and looks at her. "I shouldn't have left you alone." Cybersix says, feeling guilty. She goes to the sink and returns to him with a bowl of water. "Here, drink."

With an effort Data 7 lifts his head, but he only takes a few shallow licks at the water before plopping it back down.

Cybersix's heart sinks as she realizes his condition is a lot more serious than she thought. "Hang on, 29. I won't leave you again."

In a forest ten miles out of town, Sylvester places his right hand on a panel hidden in the dirt. There is a soft shushing noise as a trap door opens beside him. He quickly gets in the hole and climbs down a ladder. At the bottom he throws the switch for the generator.

The lights come on to reveal a small room, abstract shapes covered with tarps scattered everywhere. Sylvester walks over to the far wall and brushes a thick layer of dust off the lock panel. He enters a combination and another door opens. On the other side lies a steel coffin-like capsule.

"Don't worry, Master."He says. "I remember all the instructions you gave me."

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	2. He's Baaack!

After the End - Chapter 2

Arriving back at the secret lab, Sylvester eagerly walks over to the cryostasis chamber and checks its operating lights. After three days, it is finally ready. He breathes a sigh of relief and enters the final code. The chamber hisses as it opens to reveal the body inside.

For a moment nothing happens. Then VonReichter's single eye opens and looks around, examining the surrounding chamber thoroughly. It finally lands on Sylvester, who is smiling beatifically, happy to have his master back again.

Slowly, VonReichter stretches like a cat, then rises to a sitting position. "Ah. Sylvester."

"Master!" Sylvester sinks to his knees in supplication.

VonReichter's blank expression does not change. "So. Tell me, my servant, how did I die?"

Lucas walks down King St. West, his gaze inevitably falling on the huge heaps of rubble lining the other side of the street. A host of dump trucks and cranes are trying doggedly to clean the huge mess up. The entire harbor district has been destroyed by that _thing _that Dr. VonReichter sent. Lucas suppresses an involuntary shiver. To think that Cybersix was created by someone who could - and would - do a thing like this. What must it have been like, growing up with him? It was a good thing that monster was dead.

But then, no, Lucas realizes as he keeps walking, it wasn't a good thing he was dead because it meant Cybersix would probably die too. That thought reminds him of what he's doing, and he unconsciously pats his breast pocket where the vial of sustenance is hidden. 

Finally he stops in front of a tall building and looks up at it. Cyco Research. Here he was, and he still hadn't come up with a decent cover story. His brow furrows as he tries to think.

"Lucas! Glad to see you're all right."

Lucas turns to see who is speaking. "Kevin," he says, recognizing his old friend.

"What are you doing here?" Kevin is the archetypal scientist; slight build, thick ugly glasses, and curly hair that always looks like it's just gotten out of bed.

"I came to see you, actually." Lucas hesitates. "Can we talk somewhere private?"

"Sure. Come inside - I'll sign you in."

A few minutes later they arrive in Dr. Kevin Landon's office. "I've got a really exciting project on the go right now," Kevin is saying "I can't tell you what it is, of course, but it's _really_ interesting."

"I'm sure it is," Lucas says distractedly. "Listen, Kevin, I came to ask for your help. I need you to run some tests for me."

"On what?"

Lucas pulls out the vial of sustenance. "This."

Kevin looks at it suspiciously. "What is it?"

"I'm really not sure." Lucas hesitates again. "A friend of mine found it up in the mountains." He finally blurts out.

Kevin peers closely at the vial, then backs away. "Lucas, are you sure that's not nuclear waste?"

"Um... Oh, come on, Kevin, it can't be. Not where we found it."

Kevin goes to the other room to get a gigercounter, then aims it at the vial. "Hmm. No, it's not radioactive. But what else could it be?"

"I don't know. I'm stumped; that's why I came to you."

Kevin puts the vial on a shelf. "I'll check it out as soon as I can."

Lucas nods eagerly. "Yes, please. I really need to know as soon as possible. It's important."

"What's the rush?"

"Oh, just... Intellectual curiosity, I guess. It's got me obsessed. You know how it is when you stumble onto something unknown."

Kevin smiles. "Yes, I suppose I do, at that. I'll call you as soon as I find anything."

"So Jose is alive. And a traitor." VonReichter steeples his fingers in thought. He is sitting on the room's only chair. Sylvester is kneeling on the floor; his knees hurt, but he doesn't care.

VonReichter looks back at Sylvester. "All right, here is what you are to do. Return to Jose and keep an eye on him. I want reports every three days as to what he's doing. Contact all the Technos. Let them know their master is still alive and their mission status has not changed. And do _not_ let them go to Jose for their sustenance; they are to come here to me."

"Yes, Master," Sylvester replies but makes no move to get up.

VonReichter looks slightly annoyed. "Well?"

"There is something else, Master." Sylvester says reluctantly. "Cybersix is still alive as well."

For a split second a complex emotion flits across the scientist's face; then it is gone, leaving him as impassive as before. "You're sure?"

"Yes Master. She came to the mansion looking for sustenance. Along with that big blond dope."

"Big blond dope?"

"Yes, Master. Her human friend. The big blond male."

VonReichter's face darkens. He leans forward ever so slightly in his chair. "She has a _human male friend?"_ His voice has risen a notch .

"Y- yes, Master. We've seen them together before." Sylvester knows this is a mistake as soon as the words leave his mouth.

VonReichter brings his fist down on the arm of his chair. "Then why wasn't I told about this before?" He leans menacingly toward Sylvester.

"Uh.. Um. Forgive me, Master, I... uh-"

Suddenly the scientist's face turns bland again and he leans back in his chair. "No, never mind. There is no time for that. Do you know this man's name - even his first name?"

Sylvester shakes his head sadly.

VonReichter becomes lost in thought again. "Obviously we have to find him. I need time to think about this. Go and do what I told you."

"Yes, Master." Sylvester says yet again, then gets up and half-runs from the lab.

On his way back from Cyco, Lucas is nearing his apartment when he sees a familiar form leaving a store. "Adrian!" He runs to catch up with his friend.

"Lucas. Hi.".

"What are you up to?"

"I was just getting some stuff for... my cat." She replies.

"Oh. And how is he?"

Cybersix looks away. "Not so good."

"Can I do something to help?" Lucas asks.

"Sure, if you want. Why don't you come and visit?"

When they arrive at her apartment, Cybersix puts down her things and goes right to Data 7, whose eyes are closed. "Brother?" she asks quietly.

Data 7 opens his eyes. His tail gives a little flick.

"I brought some food for you. Try and eat a little, please?" She goes to her kitchen cupboard and gets a knife and fork. Then she pulls a small roast beef out of her bag and begins to cut it up.

"You're feeding him that?" Lucas asks.

She gives him a look. "This is what panthers eat, Lucas."

"Oh. Yeah, right"

When the meat is in somewhat smaller chunks, she begins feeding it to him. There is blood on her hands, and she doesn't seem at all bothered by handling the raw meat.

After Cybersix is done, she goes quickly to wash her hands, then walks back into the room, still rubbing her hands on a towel. "I changed all his dressings earlier." She says, inspecting Data 7's bandages. "I'm not really sure how to treat burns. But he seems a bit better than he was earlier."

Leaning against the windowsill, Lucas has spent this entire time simply watching her. She is still dressed as Adrian, but is using her real voice. Lucas takes a breath. "How come you never told me?" He asks quietly.

She doesn't turn to him, but continues what she's doing. "I don't know, Lucas. I was happy with things the way they were. I didn't want things to change."

"So why did you show Lori who you were?"

She shrugs. "I thought for sure I was going to die. Nothing else mattered at the time."

Lucas considers this. "But you thought that when you came to visit me too. Why tell Lori and not me?"

Now she does look at him. "I wasn't planning to tell Lori. I just ran into her."

"But you left her your glasses. Why would you do that for her and not even tell me?"

Cybersix sighs in exasperation. "It happened on the spur of the moment, Lucas. It didn't _mean_ anything."

Lucas is getting annoyed. "I just thought I meant more to you than Lori did, that's all."

Cybersix frowns. "Of course you do! You're blowing this way out of proportion, Lucas. You're my best friend."

"Then why didn't you tell me?" He persists.

Cybersix folds her arms across her chest. Lucas has successfully invoked her stubborn streak. "Why don't you believe me when I say it was just coincidence?"

Lucas turns away from her. He can't help but feel slighted; after all they'd been through together, and all the time she'd been his friend as Adrian, she still wasn't being completely straight with him. If there was one thing he couldn't stand, it was friends who kept secrets._ I thought I was going to die. Nothing else mattered at the time. _Was that the only reason why she'd let him kiss her too?

Cybersix walks over to him. "Look, Lucas, I didn't know you'd feel this way about it. Maybe if I had to do it again I would tell you. But it's done now. Drop it"

Lucas sighs. "All right. I'm sorry."

They talk for a few minutes more, but there is an uncomfortable tension in the room. She asks him if he's found out anything about the sustenance; he tells her no, that he's still working on it.

Soon Lucas makes some excuse and leaves. He just can't shake the feeling of betrayal that fills him. _What else is she keeping from me?_ He wonders as he walks home.


	3. The Best Laid Plans...

After the End - Chapter 3

Cybersix sprints after Sylvester as he runs for the dock. She rounds a corner just in time to see him trip over a raised board and drop a vial of sustenance. _Oh, please _she thinks. 

Ignoring the vial, Sylvester keeps running and leaps off the dock into a waiting boat. A movement catches Cybersix's eye; she turns to see Jose running down the steps toward the dock, looking around him.

"Boss! Over here!" Sylvester calls, and Jose runs toward the boat. He makes a jump for it, but overshoots just a bit. Sylvester tries to catch him as he flies over the boat but he fails. Jose plunges into the freezing cold water of the harbor.

"Boss!" Sylvester does a good job of sounding appropriately horrified.

"You idiot!" Jose yells as he flounders in the water. He starts hitting Sylvester even as his servant is pulling him back in the boat. Sylvester tries to avoid Jose's fists, all the while apologizing profusely in his whiny voice.

Cybersix hears a grunt behind her and turns around; the fixed idea she'd knocked out earlier is coming to. He stares at Jose's boat for a long minute before cluing in to what's going on. He gets to his feet. "Wait!" He bellows... and also makes a jump for the boat. 

Now unlike Jose his aim is good, but it is a small boat and he is heavy. As a result the boat's entire prow plunges below the surface as the fixed idea's weight lands on it, almost sending Jose overboard again. By some miracle the boat does bob back up again as the fixed idea's weight shifts, but the interior is now soaked. Jose abandons his punishment of Sylvester and begins beating on (or trying to beat on) the fixed idea instead. Free of his tormenter, Sylvester finally manages to get the motor started and the boat zooms away.

"Well," Cybersix says aloud. "Sure beats staying home and watching TV." She turns around and slowly walks back toward the vial of sustenance still lying on the dock. She stops a good distance away from the vial and looks at it suspiciously. On a sudden impulse, she finds a rock on the shoreline and, standing well back, throws it at the vial. It explodes with a loud bang and a burst of flame.

Cybersix quickly glances around to see if anyone noticed the noise, but this part of the harbor is still uninhabitable after the Isle of Doom. She walks over to the spot where the vial had been. The explosion was so intense there is no lingering fire, just a scorched black hole in the dock. She smiles ruefully and shakes her head; Jose must be losing it if he thinks she's going to fall for a trick like that. 

She turns away from the water and starts back for the city. The rubble heaped at the harbor's edge makes a good jumping ground, and she enjoys testing her agility on the new terrain. 

After a while she stops and heads for home. So no sustenance tonight. She still had the three vials at home, but things were different now; it could very well be running out for good. Cybersix sighs. There had been a few times in the past when she'd come very close to not getting it in time. She could remember saying goodbye to Lucas at the cafe, not knowing if she'd be alive to see him again tomorrow. It certainly gave you a unique perspective on life. 

Of course there was the possibility that Jose knew how to make sustenance. Logically he wouldn't have killed his father if he didn't know, but then Jose was never very good at seeing past his own nose. Cybersix looks up at the clear night sky and tries to push away such morbid thoughts. For now, at least, she is alive and healthy. 

Lucas knocks on Kevin's door and it opens almost immediately. 

"Lucas. Come in." Kevin looks around suspiciously before closing the door. 

"So what did you find out about that sample I gave you?" Lucas asks eagerly. 

"Lucas, you _ have_ to tell me where that stuff came from." Kevin says. 

"I told you, Kevin, I don't know. You probably know more about it now than I do." 

Kevin looks him in the eye. "Lucas, you're my friend, but... you're also a terrible liar. I think you know something you're not telling me." 

Not sure of what to say next, Lucas remains silent. 

"Look, Lucas, you have to tell me. I'm doing this for your own good, you know. That stuff is very dangerous - and very advanced, from what I can tell." 

"Can you duplicate it?" 

"Now why on Earth would I want to do that? I still can't figure out what it's actually supposed to be _for._" 

"Kevin, you have to trust me on this. I _need_ whatever information you can give me." 

"Okay, Lucas, if that's way you want to play it, here's the deal: You tell me everything you know about that stuff, and I'll tell you everything I know. A trade. Otherwise, forget it... and you're not getting that vial back either." 

Lucas looks at him for a moment, then goes to get his coat and begins putting it on. 

"Where are you going?" Kevin asks. 

"I can't answer you right now." He replies. "I'll call you sometime later, okay?" He leaves Kevin's apartment without looking back. 

Sylvester enters VonReichter's secret lab once again; his master has summoned him, saying he has a plan. 

"Ah, Sylvester, there you are." VonReichtor turns from the table he's been hunched over. His eyes look red and strained and his hair is a mess; it's obvious he's been working hard. "Tell me, is Jose still after Cybersix?" 

"Yes, Master." Sylvester replies. "He tried to get her again last night - and failed." 

"Good." VonReichter says. "I have a plan to capture this human friend of hers. I want you to put the idea in Jose's head that if he were to catch this man, Cybersix would come to him. He will hack into the city's health computers to find out who this man is; that, at least, is one thing he is good at." He pauses. "Now I know for sure that those files don't have personal photographs, so Jose will only be able to get a list of possible names. He will undoubtedly give you that list to investigate... you will do that and tell _me_ what you find. I will send some Technos to help you." 

Sylvester nods. "Excellent plan, Master." 

"Of course it is." VonReichter says distractedly. "Now... there is one more thing." He seems lost in thought for a moment. "My circumstances have changed a great deal, Sylvester... I have no fixed ideas left, nor the means to make any really sophisticated creatures, and because of that... I need Cybersix alive." 

Sylvester stands still and does not reply. 

"Therefore," The scientist continues." I want you to do whatever you have to to prevent Jose and his fixed ideas from killing her." 

"That shouldn't be too difficult, Master." 

"True. But I want you to do more than that. I want you to _keep_ her alive, if necessary." 

Sylvester looks perplexed, then his face falls as he begins to understand what his master is saying. 

"Yes, Sylvester, you know exactly what I mean by that." VonReichter says sternly. 

"But Mast-" 

"No buts! Come now, Sylvester, haven't I always taken care of you?" VonReichter gets up and walks to the corner of the room, where clusters of strange machinery are quietly humming away. "I have developed a procedure that will enable you to withstand her attacks better." He says to his servant. "Now come over here." 

Sylvester goes. 


	4. Psyches Revealed

After the End - Chapter 4

Lucas leaves his apartment in a hurry and walks quickly down the street, looking for a cab. There aren't any in sight, and he sighs; now there's no way he'll get there in time. It was "Meridiana Day," when the city held a festival in honor of town pride. Lucas had wanted to go see the fireworks display, but he'd completely forgotten that his bike was in the shop and he would have to find other means of transportation. Now he was going to miss it.

The streets in this part of town are deserted; no doubt everyone was down at the fair grounds already. Despite the ordeal they'd just been through, or perhaps because of it, the citizens of Meridiana seemed more determined than ever to have a good time. Lucas resigns himself to walking, even though it would probably mean he'd miss the action; he had nothing better to do at home anyway.

He is walking along, lost in thought, when suddenly a figure appears in front of him as if from nowhere: it is, of course, Cybersix.

"Hi, Lucas." She says, smiling at him.

"You seem to be in a good mood." He replies. "How is Data 7?"

"Much better. I wasn't sure if he could heal as fast as I do, but it seems he can. What are you up to?"

"Well, I was going to see the fireworks, but now it looks like I won't get there in time."

"I was going to go see them too." Cybersix says. She thinks for a minute. "Hey, I have an idea." She turns around and crouches down a bit, holding her hands out behind her. "Get on."

Lucas blinks at her. "You're not serious. Me, piggyback you?" 

"Sure. Come on, it'll be fun."

Something in Lucas' gut tells him this is a bad idea, but for some unknown reason he ignores that feeling. "Well... okay." He says, and jumps on her back.

For a split second he feels Cybersix tense, then the ground disappears as they become airborne. The side of the building they're facing flashes by as they rocket straight up. Cybersix barely touches the roof of this building before leaping again for a higher one, coiling and uncoiling like a giant spring. She reaches the top of a very high building and is finally still. 

Convinced that his stomach is still somewhere on the street below, Lucas slowly opens his tightly closed eyes. "Warn me next time you're going to do that!"

Cybersix grins at him over her shoulder. "Well what were you expecting me to do?"

Lucas makes no reply. He is too busy trying to get a better grip on her while trying to keep his hands off her breasts while trying to keep from thinking about his hands on her breasts.

Cybersix strolls over to the other side of the building and looks off the edge. "Okay, I'm warning you. Try not to scream." With that, she plummets off the edge of the building and Lucas does, indeed, have to try not to scream.

Cybersix lands a little hard, grunting with the effort as her knees bend under Lucas' extra weight. He is just about to tell her that's enough, thanks for the ride, when she takes off like a racehorse out of the gate, running extremely fast and aimed straight into the side of another building. Only a few feet away she plants both feet on the ground to alter her forward momentum and the next thing Lucas knows they're going vertical again. He shuts his eyes and grits his teeth. 

They land safely on the roof of the building. Cybersix straightens her back and Lucas feels her sides expand as she sighs deeply. She lets go of his legs and he gratefully jumps off while he has the chance.

"You enjoyed that." He says to her accusingly.

She turns around to face him. There is a feral light in her dark eyes that he's never seen before, and it surprises him. "Of course I did." She says guilelessly. "It's what I do." She walks over to the other side of the roof. "Come on. We can watch the fireworks from up here." She sits down on the building's ledge and motions for him to join her.

"Uh," Lucas says "Maybe not so close to the edge?"

"Oh, come on. We're not that high up - I can save you if you fall."

Once again this is against Lucas' better judgment, but once again something other than common sense wins out. He walks over and carefully perches on the ledge, fully aware what a sorry state he's in that he's willing to go to such lengths just to be close to her. Unfortunately, once he sits down, he becomes too concerned with keeping a firm grip on the ledge to risk trying to get closer.

They watch the fireworks pretty much in silence. When they're over, Cybersix casually swings her legs over the ledge and steps back on the roof. She offers Lucas her hand to help him down, which he gladly accepts. 

"Come on," Cybersix says once they're both standing again. "I'll carry you home." 

"Uh... thanks, but no. I think I'll walk." He answers.

"But how are you going to get down from here?" She asks. She only just manages to avoid looking amused.

Lucas looks around. There are no stairs down. He sighs. "Okay, but only to the bottom."

"Not your cup of tea, eh?" Cybersix says as he gets on. "That's too bad."

A heart-stopping moment later they land on the street below. Lucas is afraid she's going to take off with him again, but she lets him get off. They start walking down the street in silence.

Lucas thinks about his conversation with Kevin the night before. He knows he'll have to tell Cybersix what he did with the sustenance eventually, and it was better to get it over with. "Cybersix..."

She puts her arm out to stop him from walking. "Shhh. I smell a rat."

They hear a dull thump from the alley near by. Cybersix walks cautiously into the dark opening and Lucas follows. She stops as she sees a familiar figure, rummaging through a dumpster with his back to them.

"Sylvester!"

He turns around, a look of pure guilt on his face. The look quickly turns to dismay as he realizes who has called him. "Cybersix. You're looking well."

She looks him over. "And how are you doing, now that your God is dead?"

He frowns. "You know I work for the brat now. I mean the brain. Jose." Knowing his slip has been caught, he attempts a smile that turns into a grimace . "Cute little tyke. I just love him to _pieces_."

Cybersix smiles despite herself. It's no secret that Sylvester hates Jose. He'd only listened to the kid because his master had commanded him to. Suddenly her expression turns serious as she realizes the implications of this. There could only be one reason why Sylvester would serve Jose willingly.

"Lucas, do you know what this means? I'm saved! "

Before Lucas can answer, she turns back to Sylvester. "Jose knows how to make sustenance, doesn't he?."

"Bravo," Sylvester says dryly. " Now if you don't mind, I don't have all night. Are we going to do this thing or what? "

For a moment both of them are completely still. Then they attack at exactly the same instant, engaging each other in a desperate wrestling match .

Lucas takes a step back. The two of them are going at each other so viciously he couldn't have stepped in to help even if he'd wanted to. They fight like a pair of dogs, grunting and growling, arms and legs periodically flashing out of the melee.

But despite the ferocity of the fight, it doesn't last long. When the dust settles, Cybersix has Sylvester neatly pinned on his back on the ground.

"Sylvester, I'm disappointed." She says in the tone of a scolding teacher. "You've gone soft. Too long as VonReichter's lapdog."

"Hey, I know a good deal when I see one." Sylvester answers. He makes a desperate move to try and break Cybersix's hold on him. She simply puts additional pressure on his wrists, looking bored. "Ow!" He cries out in pain and stops struggling. "Okay, you win." He says, sighing. "Let's get this over with."

Cybersix is still for a moment, then she looks up at Lucas. "Lucas, go and wait for me in the street, please. Sylvester and I have some. . . business to take care of."

Lucas starts to ask a question, then thinks better of it. He nods and begins walking back toward the street.

"What's the matter, Cybersix? Don't want to act like an animal in front of your boyfriend?" Sylvester whispers. 

Cybersix drops down toward him, her head only inches away from his face. "Don't tempt me, Sylvester." 

Lucas exits the alley and stops around the corner, leaning against side of a house. He looks up at the stars. Suddenly the sound of a yelp bricks the quiet of the night, coming from the direction of the alley. Concerned for Cybersix, Lucas turns to look at what's going on.

Cybersix is still straddling Sylvester, and their feet are facing Lucas. He can see that she is lying flat on top of him, her head by his neck. He frowns, curious. She stays that way for a few minutes before her head comes up. He retreats back around the corner, not wanting her to see him.

A few minutes later the two of them come out of the alley, walking side by side.

" . . . You know, you could always come over to our side. " Cybersix is saying to Sylvester as the two of them come over to join Lucas.

He looks at her like she's crazy. "And do what? Jump around rooftops like a pony all night? I don't think so, Cybersix. I like a little more action than that." Lucas notices that there's blood on his neck.

"0h, I get plenty of action." She replies.

Sylvester looks over at Lucas. "Yeah, I'm sure you do."

Cybersix punches him in the arm, but only halfheartedly.

"Bitch," Sylvester says, also halfheartedly. He turns back to Lucas. "But seriously though, you do realize what you're doing, boinking her? I mean, I ain't no priest, but doesn't that amount to bestiality?"

This is more than Cybersix can take. She makes a grab for Sylvester's shirt collar, but he is ready for her and dodges just out of reach. "I should have killed you when I had the chance." She growls at him

He throws his head back and laughs and her face. "That's a good one, Cybersix. You always could crack me up." He deliberately turns his back on her. "Now if you'll excuse me, I really must be getting home before I drop dead. Catch you later, Cybersix!"

"Any time, Sylvester! " She calls after him. She scowls. Sylvester was so good at acting spineless it was easy to forget that he wasn't.

"What was that about?" Lucas asks.

"Oh, Sylvester and I go way back. Unfortunately."

"That's not what I meant."

Cybersix hesitates. "Yeah, I bit him."

"What _for_?"

"To get sustenance, of course."

"0h. . . I didn't know you got it that way."

"Yeah, well, sometimes I don't have any choice."

Lucas is silent for a moment. "I thought you just stole the vials."

"After I did that a few times, Jose stopped allowing the fixed ideas to carry them around. That's just common sense - even for him."

"Why didn't you tell me this before?" Lucas asks.

Cybersix sighs. She is tired of hiding from him, tired of him asking her questions. "Okay, Lucas, you want to know the truth? Here it is. I didn't kill Sylvester just now, but I could have. I've done it before. Fixed ideas, types, technos, I hunt them all down. And the technos. . . They don't stand a chance against me. It's not even a fair fight." She pauses and looks up at the moon, a complex expression on her face. "You know, Sylvester was basically right. I'm more like him than I am like you."

Lucas remains silent, not knowing what to say.

Cybersix turns and looks him right in the eye. "_Think_ about all this, Lucas. Before you tell me you're in love with me again." Without another pause, she jumps for the nearest rooftop and is gone.

Lucas stands alone in the street for a long time before heading home.


	5. The Big Talk

After the End - Chapter 5 

VonReichter is busy mixing chemicals in his secret lab when the exterior alarm goes off. He looks at the monitor to see that Sylvester is approaching. He frowns; he hasn't summoned his servant. He walks over to the lab's door and opens it. 

"Master!" Sylvester half walks, half stumbles inside. 

VonReichter begins to get annoyed, but then he notices the wound on Sylvester's neck. "Ah, she got you." He grasps Sylvester by the shoulders and pulls him inside, sitting him down on the floor propped up against the wall. He then disappears into a separate room on the other side of the lab, returning a minute later with a vial of sustenance. He hands the vial to Sylvester, who gulps it down eagerly. 

"You'll be pleased, Master." Sylvester says when he has had a few minutes to recover. "I know the human's name - it's Lucas." 

VonReichter quickly walks over to a nearby table and picks up a copy of the list Sylvester stole from Jose - all the blond, blue-eyed men between the ages of 20 and 30 in Merridiana. He scans through the names. 

"Lucas Amato; the only one on the list. Hah! I have him. And long before Jose!" He walks back over to Sylvester and, leaning down to him, runs his fingers through Sylvester's hair. "You've done well, my servant." He croons. 

Sylvester closes his eyes and smiles in ecstasy as his Master caresses him. VonReichter cups Sylvester's jaw in his hand and lifts his face, then kisses him gently on the forehead. "Come," He says, walking back over to the other side of the lab. "I must take care of that wound before Jose sees it." 

Sylvester wearily gets up and goes to sit on the examination table. 

VonReichter looks more closely at his neck. "That's a nasty bite she gave you." 

"I made her angry." 

"Oh?" One eyebrow arches upward. 

"I pointed out that she was ashamed to bite me in front of her human. Then afterwards I told him that what he was doing was bestiality." 

VonReichter instantly stops his cleaning of Sylvester's cut. It's not very often that he let his emotions get away with him, but this is one of those times. He bursts out laughing; a dry, raspy sound. "Oh, that is excellent! I bet _that_ upset her." 

"It did." 

VonReichter grins. "Ah, my little Cybersix. Ever the tender-hearted. It's about time I used that weakness against her." 

"What do we do with the human, Master?" 

"Nothing for now. I still have some preparations to make before we go after him. In the meantime, see to it that Jose goes on a wild goose chase." Using a pair of tweezers, he extracts a piece of skin-like material from a Petrie dish and applies it to Sylvester's neck. It stretches to cover the shape of his wound, concealing it. 

"Yes, Master." 

VonReichter stands back. "Good. Now get going." 

Sylvester is so disappointed he looks like he's about to cry. 

"You may come back after Jose has gone to sleep." 

"Thank you, Master." Sylvester he bows and leaves.

Cybersix picks up her books and her keys and sighs. _Here goes nothing._ She pats Data 7 on the head, more for her own sake than for his. She leaves her apartment.

School is starting up again today, which meant she was going to have to deal with Lori. She had no idea what the girl would do now that she knew her teacher was really Cybersix. She may have told her friends already, or maybe not. Or she may decide to stand up and blurt it out in the middle of class. The only sure thing about Lori was that she was unpredictable.

And then there was Lucas. She hasn't seen or heard from him since the incident with Sylvester three nights ago. She'd tried to call him last night, so they could get what ever was going to happen between them over with before they met at school again, but he either wasn't home or didn't answer her. 

Joining the crowd of people on the street, Cybersix sighs again. She has a terrible feeling she's just lost her best friend.

She doesn't know whether to be relieved or dismayed when, later on, her class with Lori goes the same as it always has - including the fact that Lori is _still_ making moon-eyes at her. _Well,_ Cybersix thinks hopefully, _perhaps she's just trying to keep up appearances._

But she suspects it can't be that simple and, sure enough, when class is over Lori doesn't get up from her desk. She has dismissed her group of... well, Cybersix isn't exactly sure what the technical term is for the gang of guys who hang out with Lori, and she's not sure she wants to know.

"Did you want to see me about something?" 

"Yeah," Lori gets up and starts walking toward her.

Cybersix motions for her to wait, then goes and closes the classroom door. She turns back to Lori and looks at her expectantly.

"Why are you doing this?"

Cybersix carefully considers her answer. She knows that, at this point, it's probably best to tell the truth. And she also knows that subtlety is lost on Lori. "There are people out to kill me." She finally says.

"Are you serious?" Lori asks incredulously.

"Very serious. Have you told anyone?"

"Well, no, but-"

"Good. Thank you. Look, just be aware that if you do tell anyone I could very well end up dead."

Thankfully, Lori appears to take this seriously. "Uh... okay. I won't tell."

Cybersix risks smiling at her. "That's all I want to say about it."

As quickly as the wind, Lori's mood changes direction. "So, you and Mr. Amato knocking boots?"

"That's none of your business." Cybersix stammers out quickly.

Lori gives her a sly look. "Oh, okay. _I_ understand." She walks toward the door and, in a completely normal conversational tone, says. "So I guess I'll see you tomorrow, Mr. Siedelman."

Cybersix just shakes her head, then gathers her stuff and leaves for lunch. She goes and waits at the table where she usually meets Lucas, but he isn't there. All through the lunch break he doesn't show up, and she becomes more and more depressed. But just before it's time to go back to class he appears, hurrying toward her and looking out of breath.

"Adrian, hi. I had some, uh, business to take care of." He leans down to her and lowers his voice. "Can you come by my place later? I think we have to talk."

"Yes, of course." She answers. Lucas merely nods to her and hurries off again.

That night, Cybersix lands on the roof of the building across from Lucas' apartment. He is standing in his living room window, waiting for her. He looks up and sees her, then opens the window and stands back. She takes a deep breath and jumps.

Lucas looks silently at her when she lands in the room. He goes to the window and very deliberately closes it, then stands there looking at her as if he can't decide what to do next.

Not knowing what to say herself, Cybersix waits for him to make the first move. And he does; suddenly he comes over, embraces her, and tries to kiss her.

She quickly turns her cheek. "Are you crazy?"

Lucas smiles. "Actually, I'm starting to wonder about that myself. But it doesn't matter." He steps back from her. "I'm ready to tell you that I'm in love with you again."

Cybersix is confused. "Even now that you know what terrible things I do?"

Lucas shrugs. "If our ancestors didn't kill to eat, none of us would be here. And there are people - humans - who do a lot worse: murdering in for money, hunting for trophies. I think you're doing very well considering the circumstances."

She is silent for a moment. "And what about what Sylvester said?"

"Ah, he was just trying to get your goat. Anyone could see that." He moves toward her again. "So unless you have any other ' horrible' secrets to tell me, I think I, uh, I want to get involved with you."

Cybersix takes a step backward. This isn't the response she was expecting. "But there's still one thing you haven't thought of, Lucas. Remember I told you that sustenance is poisonous to humans."

"So?"

"So it's in my blood. That means _I_ could be poisonous to you."

Lucas frowns, thinking for a minute. "Did VonReichter tell you that?"

"No."

"Then how do you know for sure?"

"I don't. But do you think it's worth risking your life, Lucas? Because I don't. Do you have any idea what it would do to me if I accidentally killed you?"

This succeeds in making Lucas back off, an expression of dismay on his face. "Okay. No need to panic, this just means we need more information." He looks at her again and sighs. "And, to that end... I have to tell you about what I did with that sustenance you gave me."


	6. Mysteries

After the End - Chapter 6

"Did you tell him about me?" Cybersix asks Lucas. She is sitting on the couch in his living room; he is sitting on the chair opposite her.

"No, I thought I should ask your permission first."

Cybersix tries to hide a sigh of relief.

"But, I think we should tell him." Lucas continues. "He could figure out how to make sustenance, and then we could make it for you, and then you wouldn't have to go risking your life attacking fixed ideas anymore."

"No." Her answer is quiet but firm.

"Why not? Wouldn't you like to end your dependence on VonReichter - or rather Jose?" 

Cybersix looks away from him and sighs. "More than anything in the world.... But this isn't a safe idea. What if this guy decides he wants to have me as a lab rat? I know that Cyco is a powerful corporation. And what if he tells the government, or the public? I'd have _everyone_ after me!"

"But Kevin would never do anything like that!" Lucas insists.

She looks at him. She is beginning to realize that Lucas never thinks badly of anyone. She shakes her head. "No, Lucas. Better the devil you know."

Lucas sighs. Cybersix always made herself so hard to help.

"Where's the vial?" She asks.

"Kevin still has it. He won't give it back to me until I tell him what I know."

"So make something up, then."

Lucas looks at her exasperatingly. "No imagination, remember? Besides, he knows me well enough to know when I'm lying to him."

"Where's he keeping it?"

"Somewhere in his office, I guess." He looks at her closely. "You're not thinking of trying to get it back, are you? That building has some pretty heavy duty security."

Cybersix appears to be thinking about this. "No, it wouldn't be worth the risk." She says after a moment. "Chances are whatever he was going to do with it, he'd have done it by now." She gets up and walks over to the window. "Thanks, Lucas. I... have to get going now." She starts opening the window.

Lucas also gets up. "But..." He trails off as Cybersix prepares to jump. He has a sudden vision of trying to grab her before she can leave, but remains where he is. She jumps.

****

Cybersix leaves Lucas' apartment and jumps a few blocks over before settling to sit down on the ledge of a building. Her mind still reeling, she tries to think back on what just happened between them. She'd always thought she would love to have a real relationship with Lucas, but now that it came down to it...

After all the other Cybers were killed, she had convinced herself that love would never be a part of her life. To have someone tell her they loved her straight out shook her concept of reality.

She feels a pang of guilt; she lied to Lucas too - sort of. The truth is, she has very little evidence that her body _is_ dangerous to him. Technos become intimate with humans all the time.

But then, she thinks to herself, it's the Technos' job to manipulate humans, and that _could_ involve having sex with them. On the other hand, the Cybers had been made to be soldiers and assassins; VonReichter hadn't liked them getting involved with _anything_ that would distract them from their duty - _especially_ romance.

Cybersix sighs once again and rests her chin in her hand. She's rationalizing and she knows it. _What am I so afraid of?_

She doesn't hear the fixed idea coming until it's too late. She turns around to see him barring down on her, arms outstretched. Startled, she launches herself off the edge of the building just in time to avoid his grasp.

She lands in the darkened alley below and is suddenly faced by three more fixed ideas; they'd been waiting for her. They advance menacingly.

Cybersix drops into a fighting stance, silently cursing herself for a fool. She'd been so preoccupied she'd let her guard down.

The fixed idea from the roof lands beside her. Now there are four. They advance on her together, and she is forced to give ground. Finally backed into a corner, she does the only thing she can do; she jumps.

But not quickly enough. One of the fixed ideas grabs her leg and slams her to the ground. She lands hard on her back, winded. She tries to kick him with her other foot but can't get up enough strength; he catches her leg in mid-air and pins it down along with first one. She lifts her upper body off the ground closes her fist to punch him.

Only to be grabbed by the shoulders and slammed back down to the ground again by another fixed idea. She blinks and suddenly there are four of them are staring down at her.

Now she's in serious trouble. She twists her body violently to the side in a desperate effort to break their hold on her. But instead of trying to resist, the fixed idea holding her shoulders follows the motion through, pushing her roughly onto her stomach. He lets go of her but only for a second - the next thing she knows he's sitting on her shoulder blades, his legs pinning her arms at her sides. As a final insult, he places his meaty hand on the back of her head to hold it firmly in place.

Cybersix stops struggling. Her head had rolled into a garbage bag when they turned her over; now her face is smashed against it and she can't see anything. The smell of the garbage fills her nostrils, and the fixed idea's crushing weight on her back makes it difficult to breathe. Her heart pounds in her chest.

End of the line. All she can do now is hope they try to take her to Jose instead of killing her immediately. For the first time since the Isle of Doom feels the presence of Death nearby. 

A sound grabs her attention; running footsteps, coming this way. One long moment and the footsteps stop. A voice whispers harshly, but she can't understand it.

"Huh?" One of the fixed ideas asks.

The voice whispers again, even more angrily. Why can't she figure out what it's saying?

Then lights explode behind her closed eyes as something smashes into the side of her head, bringing on the greater darkness.

****

Cybersix returns to consciousness aware that she is lying on her back. She opens her eyes. The night sky. The moon. The sides of buildings: She is still lying in the alley.

Training taking over by instinct, she summons her defenses, tensing. The fixed ideas must still be around here somewhere. She listens, but there is no sound. She can sense no one nearby.

Cautiously, cradling her throbbing head, she gets to her feet. Where are they? Her vision is a bit fuzzy, but the alley appears to be empty. She walks a little unsteadily toward the exit, trying to be as quiet as possible.

She blinks under the light of the street lamp and struggles to get her bearings. She frowns, confused: She could swear this isn't the street she was on when they attacked her. She rubs at the side of her head where a bump is already starting to form. How long was she out for? And what happened to everyone?

But, she tells herself, solving the mysteries of what this night is for later. Right now she has to get to safety. She gingerly walks out into the street and heads for home.

The jump up to her apartment is difficult.

"What's taking so long? It's been two weeks already! You should have found him by now!" Jose yells. He scowls at Sylvester and Techno 21 expectantly.

The three of them are in the mansion's office. Jose is standing on the large, empty desk so that he can look down on Sylvester and Techno 21.

"There are many names on that list," Techno 21 points out.

Jose just grunts and starts pacing back and forth. 

Sylvester eyes the brat casually, hoping he'll take that one extra step and fall off the edge of the desk. Suddenly he receives the silent alarm that tells him his Master wants him. He remains impassive, standing with hands clasped behind his back.

"Arg! You're such an idiot! You're... incompetent!" This is a big word for Jose.

"But sir," Techno 21 says exasperatingly. "I've been doing this job for three years now, and I can tell you these things take a while." He notices Sylvester giving him a look like _don't bother, you're wasting your time, _but he ignores it. "Besides, it's very difficult to prove one way or the other whether any of these men know Cybersix."

Jose stops pacing. "I don't care. I don't care if you have to work around the clock. Just find that guy!" He turns around and points a finger accusingly at Sylvester. "And you! How come you haven't brought me any more money?"

"I've been too busy to go out lately, sir. You did order me to help Techno 21 on this project." Sylvester replies calmly.

Despite the perfect logic of this answer, Jose clenches his fists and grits his teeth. "You..." He trails off, at a loss for words, then blurts out: "You're lucky I keep feeding you! And that goes for you too, techno!" The smug smile disappears from Technos 21's face. "Now I'm giving you one more week to find this guy or... or you're both gonna get it!"

"Yes, sir." The two of them reply, not exactly in unison. They leave the office and walk down the hall.

"There's just no reasoning with that monster!" Technos 21 says when they are safely out of earshot.

Sylvester sniffs. "I told you, techno, just smile and nod; it goes faster that way." He stops in front of the fixed idea guarding the back door and speaks two words to him in Command. The fixed idea lumbers off to do whatever it is Sylvester told him to.

Techno 21 tries to stop his slip from curling. He doesn't like Sylvester's attitude. It galls him that this sexless little freak, barely old enough to get into a bar, is essentially higher in rank than he is.

They reach the door to the computer room where they'd been working, but Sylvester continues on down the hall.

"Hey, shouldn't we pretend like we're working?" Technos 21 asks.

"Can't right now." Sylvester answers. "I've been summoned."

"Oh! Let me go with you then." Techno 21 runs to catch up with him. "I just found out something Master will want to know right away: I know where Cybersix lives!"

_Dammit._ Sylvester says to himself. He knows where Cybersix lives now too, and _he_ wants to be the one to tell Master. Unfortunately there's no way he can stop the techno from coming. "Fine. But let's see what he wants first."

They walk up the staircase and into Sylvester's room. He reaches under the bed and pulls out a small black box, then retrieves a head set from the battered dresser in the corner. He attaches the two together and fiddles with the boxe's buttons.

"Yes Master, I'm here." There is a long pause. "Yes, I understand..... Tonight. Yes. It will be done by morning." He removes the head set and looks up at Techno 21. "Want to help me bag a human?"


	7. Recovery

After the End - Chapter 7

Cybersix's alarm clock goes off, unnecessarily. Data 7 feels her sit up and swing her legs over the edge of the bed. He growls at her.

"I have to go work, Brother."

He growls at her louder.

She ignores him and slowly gets up. He jumps down off the bed and plants his two front paws firmly on one of her feet. When you can't talk, sometimes you have to get physical to get your point across. He has spent the night keeping her awake - on purpose - because she most definitely has a concussion. And now she wants to go to work!

Cybersix frees her foot and sighs, then probes tentatively at the bump on her head. "Don't be ridiculous, Data 7, I'm a cyber; I can take this." She then ruins her case by wincing as her fingers touch a sore spot.

Data 7 shakes his head, more in disgust and then to indicate he doesn't agree. For about the millionth time he wishes he could speak: Then he'd give his big sister an earful, and not just about this either.

She starts to walk to the kitchen, and he growls at her again. "Relax, I'm just going to put the ice pack back in the freezer." She stops at the bathroom and turns on the light, looking at herself in the mirror. Maybe Data 7's right; if she doesn't rest today, she will need even more sustenance soon. She already drank her second-last vial last night, knowing it would help her heal faster. Whoever knocked her out did a good job.

She turns off the light and proceeds to the kitchen. And that is yet another problem she has to deal with; she still has no idea who rescued her. Or where the fixed ideas disappeared to. Everything about last night was too close for comfort; how much longer can she go on cheating death? 

She steps back into the hall to find Data 7 sitting there, scowling at her. She opens her mouth to tell him she's decided to stay home, then stops. If she doesn't go to school today, Lucas would be sure to get on her case about where she'd been. And what would Lori think, after what she'd told her yesterday?

But no, she realizes, she doesn't have a choice. "Don't worry, I'm going to call in sick."

As soon as the bell rings, Lori heads to the girl's washroom so she can think for a minute. Adrian hadn't been in class today. The substitute said he'd called in sick - which means that he -no, she - was still alive. Or it could just mean that the school didn't know where she was and didn't want to tell them

Lori scowls at her reflection in the mirror. This bothers her a lot more than she likes to admit. She knows who's after Adrian - it's that obnoxious kid Jose and his gang of oafs - but could they really kill her? And why did they want to - what had she done? And just where did this Cybersix woman come from anyway? There were a lot of rumors about her, but most people just thought she was an urban myth.

Lori frowns again. She knows that Cybersix does have super powers; she's seen them for herself. How did she get them? Lori would _ so_ love to know exactly what's going on.

She takes out her lipstick and is about to start applying it when it dawns on her: She knows where Adrian / Cybersix lives. She could go and find out exactly what's going on. _Yeah, I could go on a stake out!_ She smiles at the idea. A little spying will be fun. _Now, I'll just have to ditch the guys..._ Her mind made up, she puts the lipstick away unused and rushes out of the bathroom.

The phone rings at exactly the time Cybersix thought it would. She picks up the receiver. "Hello?"

"Cybersix, how come you weren't at work today? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Lucas, just, uh, a little sick."

"I've never seen you sick as long as I've known you."

"Okay, so I had all little run in with some fixed ideas last night, but-"

"Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine by tomorrow."

"But are you okay?"

"0h, you know sometimes you just don't listen to me."

"I'm just concerned about you."

"I know, but I'd rather you leave me alone. I'll see you at work tomorrow, okay? Right now I need to rest."

"All right... but you just call me if you need anything."

"Fine. Bye, Lucas."

"Uh, okay, bye."

Cybersix hangs up the phone.

It is just past 2:00 a.m. when Sylvester and Techno 21 return to VonReichter with their prize.

"Here is that test subject you wanted, Master." Sylvester says as he lowers the human to the floor.

VonReichter examines the girl critically. She is blindfolded and tied in the fetal position, her wrists bound to her ankles. She is also shaking in fear. "She'll do." He says.

He walks over to the bench and returns with a needle filled with a bluish liquid. "Hold her still." He kneels down and injects the drug into the girl's arm. "Sylvester, lock her in the other room for now."

As Sylvester carries the girl off, VonReichter goes and sits down in his chair, then looks up at Techno 21. "Well, do you have anything to report?"

"Yes Master, I do." The techno removes a printout from his breast pocket and hands it over. "I discovered this when I was checking up on that Lucas Amato guy."

VonReichter quickly scans the paper; a bio of one Adrian Siedelman. "Who is this?" His tone is slightly annoyed.

"Cybersix in disguise, sir." Techno 21 replies excitedly.

"Are you certain?"

"Quite certain, sir. She works at the same high school as Amato - apparently they're close friends."

He looks at the page again. The features in the picture are indeed Cybersix's, only disguised in a man's attire. His eyes move down to the text below: A false birth date to go with the false name, a university degree, a job as a teacher, and an apartment in a half decent part of town. VonReichter suppresses an involuntary surge of pride: He always assumed that Cybersix would be living as a vagrant, or, at the very most, be working at some menial job. But she had managed to accomplished all this after escaping with nothing but the clothes on her back. _Somehow, she never ceases to amaze me_. Well, all the more reason for him to get her back under his control.  "This is good." He declares. "It will make things easier when it comes time to capture Amato."

"But now that we know where she lives, why not just attack her in her home?" Techno 21 asks. "If we got enough types together, we could take her."

VonReichter looks crossly up at the techno. "Don't be in idiot. Do you know how many types that would take? And provided you did manage to overwhelm her, how would you get her out of the building without anyone noticing? Besides, I told you I want her as undamaged as possible; I have plans for her. No, if I capture her lover, she will come to me voluntarily, and I can deal with her on my own ground."

Sylvester, who has wandered back into the room, unobtrusively looks over his master's shoulder at the address listed on the printout. He gazes hatefully at 21. He was hoping the techno had made a mistake, but that was indeed the address he found last night.

VonReichter continues. "Techno, I want you to put a watch on Cybersix's apartment. I want to know if Data 7 is still alive."

"Oh, come on, he can't possibly be." Techno 21 scoffs. "Not after that explosion-"

In one smooth motion, VonReichter gets up from his chair and slaps the techno hard across the face. "How dare you question my judgment! Have you forgotten that you live or die by my will? I suggest you watch your mouth, techno!"

"I - I'm sorry, Master. Forgive me." Techno 21 replies meekly.

VonReichter sits back down. "This was a warning. Make another comment like that and you _ will_ be punished. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Master."

"Better. Now go and do as you have been commanded."

The techno bows and hurries from the lab.

VonReichter shakes his head disgustedly. "Technos with attitude. What's next?" He turns around and sees Sylvester standing quietly in the corner. His manner softens as he walks over and puts a hand on his servant's shoulder. "Now you, Sylvester," he says silkily. "I know I can always depend on you."

Sylvester smiles broadly in response. "Yes, Master."

The next night, Cybersix is out on the rooftops again. She is feeling much better, and besides, a cyber couldn't stay down for long even if they wanted to. Still, she doesn't intend to look for any trouble tonight. She's just... out for some air.

She looks at Data 7 standing beside her. His skin is almost healed, though he is nearly completely bald. But she understands why he wanted to come out tonight; he couldn't be still for long without going crazy either.

From her high perch on the tower, Cybersix gazes out over the city. Her eyes narrow as she looks a few streets over; a bulky shadow is emerging from one of the sewers. "Do you see that, Data 7?" Together they jump a few buildings closer to get a better look.

Crouching on a ledge, Cybersix scowls as she recognizes the shadowy figure. It is Sylvester... and he's carrying a human body slung over one shoulder. She sighs theatrically and turns to Data 7. "A cyber's work is never done, eh? Let's go."

They drop to the ground and start following a safe distance behind Sylvester. He turns down an alley, and Cybersix creeps up to peak around the corner at him. She watches as he drops the person - a young woman by the looks of it - not very gently onto the ground. He pulls out a knife and cuts some ropes that have presumably been keeping the girl tied. Then he simply walks away, jumps the fence at the back of the alley, and disappears.

Motioning to Data 7 to stay behind, Cybersix runs to the girl and kneels down beside her. She is still breathing, though her eyes are closed. 

She gently picks the girl up, cradling her head. "Hey, are you okay?"

The girl groans in response and groggily opens her eyes. They are very glassy.

"Jennifer! Where are you?" A voice calls from the street.

Suddenly light shines into the alley and a man approaches. "Jennifer!" He cries when he sees the girl. He starts running toward them, then stops as he notices Cybersix for the first time. He blinks at her. "Hey, you're Cybersix."

"Yes, I am. " she replies. No point in trying to deny it.

"What are you doing with my sister?" He asks accusingly.

"I found her like this-"

"Get away from her, you witch!" The man runs over and scoops the girl up, eyeing Cybersix as if she's some wild animal who might attack at any moment.

Cybersix backs off. "I was just trying to help-"

"What did you do to her?" The man starts to back out of the alley. "The police are gonna hear about this!"


	8. Yashimotto Returns

After the End - Chapter 8

"Hello, Lucas. " Cybersix puts her books on the table and sits down.

"Hi, Adrian. Happy Monday."

She smiles wryly at him.

So it appears everything is okay between them again. Lucas thinks back to Saturday night, when he'd stood on the roof of his apartment building, hoping to catch a glimpse of her so he'd know she was okay. He was a little surprised when she actually did show up.

_"Lucas, what are you doing up here? It's the middle of the night. You should be asleep." She said to him._

_"I was looking for you." He replied. "I wanted to know for sure that you were okay."_

_"I told you before I was fine." She walked over to the roof's high ledge and leaned casually against it. Once again Lucas found himself struck by her beauty; how could she be so graceful doing a simple thing like that? "I know you did. But you sort of... blew me off when we talked on the phone yesterday."_

_"I know." She said quietly. "And I'm sorry. It's just that I don't like to be coddled when I'm sick."_

_Lucas wondered if that was just because she'd been alone for so long. She'd never had anyone to coddle her. "It's okay. It's just that I worry about you."_

_"I know you do, and I wish you wouldn't." She looked straight at him. "I live a very dangerous life, Lucas. If you and I are going to continue to be... friends, then that's something you'll have to get used to."_

Lucas sighs into his cup of coffee. Before, he'd thought that a good friendship - or a good relationship - was worth doing anything for, that he'd never turn his back on someone just because they sometime stressed him out or inconvenienced him. But knowing that Cybersix could be killed than any time, or fade away from lack of sustenance - it wasn't easy. And he wants to love her so much, but he can't. The whole thing is starting to wear him down.

With an effort, he brings himself back to the present. But he would miss Cybersix so much if he stopped seeing her. No, he realizes, for better or worse, he's hopelessly in love with her.

"So, did you read in yesterday's paper about that girl being attacked?"

Lucas is surprised she brought this up. The story in the paper said that a teenage girl, who'd been missing for a whole day, was found Saturday night in an alley by her brother. At first, the boy claimed that he'd 'rescued' his sister from Cybersix, who apparently had been standing ominously over her at the time. But it turned out later the girl had been drugged and raped, and because of that - probably _only_ because of that - the police dismissed Cybersix as a suspect. Yet the boy was still convinced she had something to do with it.

"Pretty ridiculous, if you ask me." Lucas says. "About the boy insisting that Cybersix was involved, I mean. I think he's just looking for a scapegoat."

Cybersix remains silent for a moment before speaking quietly. "I heard that she might have seen who did it."

"Really?"

She scowls out the window, lost in thought. "But it's not that simple. The whole thing is a mystery."

"Seems pretty straight forward to me-."

She gives him a look, warning him not to go any further. Suddenly it hits Lucas how he can so clearly see Cybersix's expression in "Adrian's" face. How could he have missed that before? "So, you want to get together after work?" An invitation. 

"Yes."

"Nice night." Lucas remarks as they walk down the path. Cybersix had come to his apartment earlier, but he could see that she was restless - as she often was. So he'd suggested a walk, and now they are strolling through a city park.

"It is." She replied, after such a long pause he didn't think she was going to answer.

"So, uh, you want to talk?" Lucas asks tentatively.

Cybersix stops walking and turns to him, sighing frustratingly. "It's just that so much has happened in the last month. Things are piling up."

Lucas nods. "I know what you mean. I've been there before."

She smiles at him. "It's nice to have someone to talk to, though."

Lucas looks at her face in the moonlight. They are standing very close. He feels his mouth go dry. "Cybersix... maybe this isn't the right time, but there's something I really need to ask you."

She opens her mouth to reply.

"Cybersix!"

Both of them look around to find the source of the voice. A little distance across the park, a figure comes running from behind a tree. Cybersix blinks as she recognizes who it is. "Yashimotto?"

He runs up and stops in front of them, then bows slightly. "Greetings, Cybersix. It's been a long time."

"Yes, it has." She's pleasantly surprised. "Oh, Yashimotto, this is my friend Lucas."

"Ah, pleased to meet you." He puts his hand out for Lucas to shake.

"And Lucas, this is Yashimotto. He's a private investigator. We helped each other out a while back."

After nodding to Lucas, Yashimotto turns back to Cybersix. "Good thing I found you. I've been trying to call you for the last week. You know, you're just as hard to catch on the phone as you are in person!"

"Why, what's going on?" She asks.

"I wanted to - well, to warn you, really. I have some information that might be important to you."

They hear the sound of arguing nearby. Two men, evidently drunk, come staggering toward them on the path.

"Is there some place where we could talk in private?" Yashimotto asks.

"Sure." Cybersix answers. "Tell you what. Why don't you two go up to my apartment? I'll meet you there."

***

Moments later, Lucas finds himself walking up the stairs beside Yashimotto - who, he can't help but notice, seems to know his way to Cybersix's apartment. They arrive at her door and stop to wait for her. Lucas feels distinctly uneasy, standing there silently with this guy he doesn't even know. Yashimotto seems to be calm, cool and collected.

Finally Cybersix opens the door from the other side. "Come in."

Data 7 wanders over as the two men enter the apartment

"Oh my." Yashimotto says when he sees him. "What happened to you?"

"He was badly burned in the Isle of Doom explosion."

"Ah, so you were there. Then it's a good thing you both survived."

Cybersix pulls an extra chair - she only has three - up to her tiny table. "Both of you, sit down. So, what is this about?"

"Okay, I'll get right to the point " Yashimotto says. "In the last month, I've had three different people come to me asking if I could track you down."

"Why?"

"Well," He raises his hand to tick them off on his fingers. "The first guy seemed pretty serious; I didn't trust him at all - just one of those gut instincts. The other two were both young and men who wanted pictures of you for their respective websites."

"What!?" Lucas exclaims indignantly. Cybersix gasps.

Yashimotto holds up his hands in a placating gesture . "I told all of them to get lost, of course. But I thought you should know, Cybersix, since the Isle of Doom you've become somewhat of an underground celebrity. Many people saw you that day. After those two guys showed up, I was curious, so I looked around on the Internet... people are speculating about you, starting rumors; some even claim they know you."

Cybersix frowns thoughtfully. She never thought of the possibility of this happening. The last thing she needs is to have humans chasing her too, for whatever reason. "What are they saying about me?"

Yashimotto shrugs. "Some people think you're a hero, others think you're a villain. It's about 50/50. And then there's a whole cult of young men who are simply... fascinated by you."

Cybersix puts her head in her hands and groans. "Oh, great. First Lori, and now I've got men with crushes on me too? How many people have to put with teenagers of both sexes panting after them?"

Yashimotto chuckles. "I feel for you. But with all due respect, Cybersix, it's difficult not to be."

"Be what?"

"Fascinated by you."

"Oh. Well, thank you." Cybersix replies.

Lucas frowns.

"I just thought you should know that some people are becoming obsessed with you. And it might get worse now, considering that article in the paper the other day."

Cybersix knows this is Yashimotto's way of probing for information, but finds she doesn't mind. "I found that girl just before her brother did. And I saw who must have raped her."

"Yeah, you mentioned that." Lucas interjects. "Did you recognize the guy?"

She looks down at the table again, then back at Lucas. "It was Sylvester."

Lucas snorts. "Figures."

"Sylvester?"

"One of Jose's cronies."

Yashimotto's eyes narrow. "And did you actually see him do anything incriminating? Maybe we could report him to the police."

Cybersix hesitates. "Yeah, I guess I did - I don't really know. It just makes no sense that he did it."

"What do you mean?"

She takes a breath. "When VonReichter was alive, he never would have allowed Sylvester to do that to a human. Not because he cared of course, but just because the police might find DNA evidence on the victim, and our DNA isn't human."

There's more to it than that, but Cybersix doesn't want to share her feelings. She thinks back to when she was young; Sylvester had started out as a sweet and honest kid. She remembered how, after 29's death, he had come to her to comfort her, instinctively knowing she needed help even though she had to try and to hide her grief. 

But that was before VonReichter had taken Sylvester for "special training, and then he was never the same again. She came to realize he would do anything for VonReichter, but she'd always held onto the belief that it was only because he was brainwashed. She'd hoped that, if Sylvester was ever able to think for himself again, he would choose good over evil. But now his Master was no longer around to control him, and it appeared that he had, in fact, made a conscious choice to hurt someone. Cybersix is having trouble reconciling this, and berrating herself for it; obviously she's just too naive.

"But it still doesn't make sense." Yashimotto's voice reclaims her attention. "Would I be correct in assuming that, since he works for Jose, this Sylvester has no scruples?"

"It seems that way, yes."

"Then why didn't he just kill the girl and dump the body? Why leave evidence for the police to find?"

All three of them are silent while they think about this.

"Oh, and that's another thing. Tell me, does he have superhuman strength like you do?"

"Yes."

"Then why would he need to drug the girl first?"

Cybersix puts her head in her hands and sighs in frustration.

Yashimotto half-smiles at her. "Sorry. I'm just playing devil's advocate. It's my job to ask questions like this." He rubs at his chin in thought. "I think there's more going on here than meets the eye. You know, I bet I could get at the police records on that girl. Find out the details of what happened to her."

Cybersix considers this. "Hmm, that would be a big help." 

He gets up from the table. "Okay, good. Here, take my card. Call me in a few days, or I'll call you, and I'll tell you what I've found."

"Thanks, Yashimotto."

She stands up and shows him out, then turns around to see Lucas frowning at her. "What?"

"Are you sure you trust that guy?"

She shrugs. "Yeah, why shouldn't I? He's kept my secret this long."

Lucas nods to himself. He couldn't help but notice that Yashimotto seemed to know almost as much about Cybersix's history as he does. He sulks at the thought.

Cybersix tries to keep from rolling her eyes. She turns to Data 7. "What you think, Data?"

The panther snorts and nods his head briskly once.

"See," She says to Lucas. "Even my overprotective brother agrees with me. Don't worry, Yashimotto will help us."


	9. The Chase

After the End - Chapter 9

"So how exactly did you meet that guy?" Still sitting in his chair, Lucas follows Cybersix's movement as she walks over to the window.

"Well, to make a long story short, Jose went to him to get him to track me down. He refused, so Jose kidnapped his little sister and Julian, who was playing with her at the time. Anyway, Yashimotto found out where I lived and we rescued the two of them together."

Lucas makes and noncommittal noise, thinking. He watches as Cybersix shifts, begins to fidget, then starts pacing. _Here we go_.

"Uh, Lucas, not meaning get rid of you, but I need to go. Out, that is." She gestures toward the window.

"Why? Are you going after Sylvester?"

"No, but if I see him we'll be sure to have a little chat."

"Do you need more sustenance, then?"

"No, not _right_ now. "

"So what do you want to go out for?"

She stops pacing and looks at him. "This is one of those things you don't understand, Lucas. Just let me go, okay?"

"No." Frustrated and seeing his opportunity, Lucas decides it's finally time to have this out. He stands up, crosses over to the window, and takes Cybersix by the shoulders. "Don't you leave on me again." Noticing her confused look, he backs off a bit. "You're always telling me I don't understand. But you never stay long enough to explain it to me. So if you want me to understand something, explain it to me now."

Cybersix studies the floor for a moment before looking back up at him. "Okay. I'll try."

Her eyes take on a faraway look as she collects her thoughts. "I go out at night even when I don't have to, even when I don't need sustenance. I do it because I - like to." _Like_ is not nearly strong enough a word, but she doesn't want to use another.

"But it's dangerous. Especially now that so many people are trying to find you."

"I know. It doesn't matter."

He looks at her strangely.

She sighs and decides to plunge on. "Fish swim. Horses run. I jump. It's not just how we get around, it's intrinsic to our nature, to who and what we are."

Lucas is about to tell her to stop speaking in literary devices, but stops himself when he sees the deadly serious look on her face. Does he understand? He thinks back to the night when she carried him on her back and remembered how much she seemed to enjoy it. She had been... in her element. So that was all?

Suddenly the realization hits him. Like a race car driver, a pilot... He opens his mouth to say something, then changes his mind. She doesn't want to be called out on this. _Patience._ "Okay, I guess if you like it that much." He tries to sound casual. "I just wanted to know, that's all. I guess you... need to get your exercise, eh?"

He is delighted to see her smile. "Yes, that's exactly it. So you understand, it's not that I don't want to spend time with you..."

Lucas sighs. "Okay, I guess I'll leave." He reaches for his coat.

"Plus, I might be able to find Sylvester and get some answers." Cybersix adds hastily.

He nods, once again finding himself having to suppress the jumble of feelings that rise within him. "But I will talk to you tomorrow, right?"

"Of course. Goodbye, Lucas. "

****

Cybersix steps up onto her windowsill, glancing around the immediate area like she always does. A flash of red by the corner of the building across the street catches her eye. Red hair. It's Lori; and she's looking right up at the window. _Great_. Cybersix jumps off the sill, aiming the girl.

She lands only a few feet directly in front of Lori. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, hi, uh - Cybersix. I was just going for a walk and I looked up and saw you there"

One of Cybersix's eyebrows arches. "Going for a walk? This late at night? By yourself?" 

Data 7 lands beside her, having followed her out the window.

Lori looks uneasily at the panther. "That's some pet you have there."

"He's not a pet. He's my brother." She regrets it the instant she says it.

Lori looks at her dubiously. "Really? How does _ that_ work?"

"Never mind. " Cybersix says quickly. "You shouldn't be out here. Go home, Lori. "

The girl rolls her eyes. " I can take care of myself. " In classic Lori style, she abruptly changes the subject. "So, who was that other guy who went up to your apartment with Lucas?"

"Lori! You've been spying on me. "

Her face takes on a guilty look. "Well, I, uh, like I said-"

"I don't want to hear it. " This is the first time Cybersix has ever seen Lori frazzled. She tries to think of a way to get rid of her without actually threatening her. "How would you like it if I spied on you and your friends?"

Suddenly a man comes around the corner and nearly runs into Lori's back. "Sorry. " He mutters. Then he looks up and notices Cybersix. Their eyes lock for just an instant before he hastily looks away. "Oh, uh, hi. I didn't mean to interrupt. I was just uh-" he looks around him as if searching for an explanation, then recalls the cigarette in his hand. "-Out for a smoke!" He declares triumphantly.

"Do you mind going somewhere else?" Cybersix's tone suggests he had better do just that.

"Of course!" The man almost bows in his attempt to appear apologetic. "Sorry to interrupt. I'll just go somewhere else." He walks surprisingly quickly back around the corner and disappears.

"Wow, you sure scared him off. " Lori sounds impressed.

Cybersix makes no comment, thinking of what the techno could have been up to. "Lori, you really shouldn't be here. The streets aren't safe. And-" She assumes her best annoyed teacher voice. "You also shouldn't be spying on me."

"I was just curious. I was worried that day you didn't come to school."

Cybersix progresses to giving Lori her best annoyed look. Which, without much exaggeration, is enough to stop the entire student body of their school in its tracks.

"I'm sorry." Lori actually sounds sheepish.

"Good. Maybe we can talk about this later, but not now. Now go home."

Without another word, Lori turns and walks off.

Signaling to Data 7, Cybersix jumps for the nearest rooftop. She walks over to the other side of the building and looks down. Sure enough, she can see the techno half running down a nearby street. Briefly she considers going after him, but then decides against it. It's too soon for her to drink again, and she would not kill the techno just because he'd seen her. Besides, if it really was just coincidence that he was so close to her apartment, catching him and questioning him might look suspicious. "Let him be." She says to Data 7.

Cybersix raises her face to the cool night breeze and gazes up at the moon. Time to jump.

Reaching the city's downtown, she jumps to the top of the highest building in the area. She pauses to look down at the streets, watching for any signs of people passing by, but all is quiet. Smiling, she is just about to leap off her perch when a warning growl from Data 7 stops her.

"What is it?" She jumps over to where he's standing and follows his gaze toward the ground. _Aha_; Down below, Sylvester is leaving what is reputed to be the seediest bar in town, his head bent over something in his hands.

She nods to Data 7, then crouches down on the ledge of the building, trying to find a good angle to pounce from. Sylvester's back is directly facing her. _Perfect. _She drops off the edge, diving like a falcon. He turns and looks up, a surprised look on his face.

Sylvester hastily backs up, trying to get out of her range. As she knew he would. Even before her feet hit the ground she reaches out her arms to grasp him by the shoulders.

"Oh crap." Sylvester says when she looks him in the face. He shoves the wad of money he's been counting into his pocket. "What do you want? You can't possibly be thirsty again."

Without replying, Cybersix pushes Sylvester roughly, hustling him up against the opposite wall. "Did you rape that girl?" She demands when she has him pinned.

"Did I _what?_"

"Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about."

"_You're_ accusing _ me_ of... Hello, Cybersix! Look who you're speaking to here."

Her brows furrow. "So what's your point?"

Looking at her like she's in idiot, Sylvester opens his mouth to make a sarcastic reply. But then his expression suddenly changes. "Oh, that's right, you wouldn't know, would you?" He attempts a wry smile. "I'm fixed."

"You're what?"

"Fixed. You know, neutered. I'm a eunuch, my dear."

It takes a moment for this to sink in. "Are you serious?"

He grins again and puts his hands on his belt. "You want to see the proof?"

"No! Thank you." She puts up a hand to stop him, looking away. "That's quite all right, I believe you." She turns back to him. This was a typical VonReichter thing to do, now that she thinks of it. And it certainly explains Sylvester's high voice. "And you're not mad at VonReichter for doing that to you?"

"No. Why should I be?"

Cybersix notices his left hand creeping toward her knee. She grabs his wrist and pins his arm up above his head.

"Sorry. I had to try." He says. The sleeve of his shirt slips up, revealing his tattoo: PTCan.Fam.I.W.1-C. She has no idea what it's supposed to mean. VonReichter had never specified exactly _what _Sylvester was, but everybody knew he was different, unique among their Master's creatures.

His gaze follows hers to his arm. "Of course I know what it means," he says as if reading her mind. "I know exactly what I am. But I'm not going to tell you-" He breaks off, his face taking on a look of concentration. "There's a cop coming."

"Oh yeah, like I'm going to fall for that." 

"Listen."

For a long moment Cybersix can hear only silence. But then... is that the buzz of a police radio? She grabs Sylvester and half-drags, half-carries him into the nearest alley, hurls him into a dark corner, and dives in after him.

She lands nearly on top of him. Knowing he's going to whine, she quickly cups her hand over his mouth. He responds by somehow getting his tongue out and licking her palm.

Unable to stop herself, she pulls her hand away. "Eew! You pig!"

For some reason the sends Sylvester into a fit of giggling. Getting significantly annoyed, Cybersix plants him one in the ribs. He stops instantly.

Leaving him there, she crawls up to the alley's mouth, keeping to the shadows. She watches as a cop walks by. Sylvester creeps up beside her. "Told ya," he whispers when he sees the cop. Ignoring him, she looks up at the roof; sure enough, Data 7 is there, looking back down at her.

Then Sylvester isn't by her side anymore. He's out walking out on the street, looking very casual, as if he has every right to be there. The cop eyeballs him suspiciously, but leaves him alone.

Shit. He got away from her so easy. She can't fallow him of out there; he might look suspicious, but the cop has no justifiable reason to stop him, whereas with her he does. She watches intently as Sylvester disappears down a side street. When it is safe, she jumps back up to the roof. " Let's get him, Data 7."

Together they jump in the direction Sylvester went, stopping on a slanted roof top overlooking the street he walked down. Cybersix looks left, then right; Sylvester is standing in the middle distance, looking back at her. _He's seen me. _Then he turns around and starts running. _ The chase is on! _Sylvester isn't much of a fighter or a jumper, but he can run - like the wind.

Cybersix springs eagerly after him, swallowing the span of an entire small building in one huge stride. He picks up speed rapidly, diving around the far corner. She leaps to the other side of the street, scrambling up one side of a slanted roof and down the other, then half slipping, half jumping onto a lower roof below. A single stride and she takes to the air again, heading for the adjoining street where Sylvester would be crossing any second....

He flashes by in a blur of speed. For a second the night breeze dies down, and the silence is filled with the sound of his feet drumming rapidly on the street below.

Cybersix's blood begins to sing as she flies after him, wind rushing over her face and in her ears. She lands on the roof of a house, hops over the chimney, and runs along the narrow peak of the roof as if it were a park path. One more brief flight and she's running nearly parallel with Sylvester.

He looks up at the same time she looks down, and even across that distance it seems their eyes meet for a second. Then with inhuman agility, he changes direction 90 degrees in mid stride and races down a side street.

Well, I can do that too. Cybersix spins on one leg, leaning into the turn like a barrel racing horse. Landing on the other side of the road, she hops back and forth across the roofs of the narrow street like a kid playing hopscotch, the elastic power of her legs bouncing her along with no effort.

Up ahead Sylvester makes another sudden turn. She knows where he's going now; home. She picks up the pace. Faced with a tall high-rise, she pushes off the ground with all her strength, attempting what is a huge leap even for her. Realizing she can't make it all the way, she lifts her arms, reaching out, stretching to her utmost to grasp the high ledge. Just as she reaches the end of her momentum, her fingers make contact; she pulls herself up easily and keeps running.

Cybersix reaches the other side of the building and jumps off into the cool night air. She looks down to see Sylvester still running almost directly below her. She's closed the distance between them, but is it enough? They've reached the edge of town. Not much time now. Summoning all her power, she makes a desperate dive for Sylvester's fleeing form.

She misses him by inches and lands hard on her hands and knees. Without pausing for a second she gets her feet under her and looks up.

Just in time to see Sylvester flying over the gate to the Jose's mansion. Suddenly finding herself exposed, Cybersix jumps into a nearby tree and tries to be quiet. There would be a fixed idea standing by the mansion's front door, and she can't go any closer without being seen. Sylvester's home free.

She hears the front door of the mansion open and close. Keeping herself hidden, she leans up against the tree's trunk and tries to get her breath back. When was the last time she was so out of breath?

Minutes pass by in tense silence. So Sylvester isn't going to alert anyone to her presence?

Then a movement catches her eye: a third floor window opens and Sylvester appears. He looks around and easily spots her in the tree. She tenses, ready for the possibility of being shot at.

But instead of trying to kill her, Sylvester puts his thumbs in his ears, sticks out his tongue, and waggles his fingers. She shoots him a poisonous look and he puts his hand on his stomach, miming laughter. He stops suddenly and looks at her seriously for a moment. Then, to her great surprise, he gives her a genuinely warm smile and a thumbs-up before closing the window and disappearing.

Cybersix finds her anger rapidly evaporating. Sylvester had taken a big risk, running full tilt through the city streets like that. She jumped; he ran. Yes; it had been a fair game, and she'd lost. And he could have brought all the residents of Jose's mansion down on her just now, but he hadn't. Perhaps her original assessment of him was correct; maybe they were enemies only by circumstance, not by nature.


	10. Lucas' Question

New Page 1

After the End - Chapter 10

"Thank God it's finally June." Lucas fills his coffee cup from the machine and walks over to sit across from Cybersix. "This is the time of year when the work seems harder."

"Yeah, we're in the home stretch. But then there'll are all those exams to mark."

Lucas just grunts in answer. It's 8 a.m. and the two of them are talking in the teachers' lounge before class starts.

The door opens and Camille, one of the schools phys. ed. teachers, walks in. "Hi Lucas, Adrian." She pulls a chair up to their table and flops down in it. "Beautiful day, isn't it?" She spots the copy of today's Meridianna Times on the table. Her eyes come to rest on a headline and she shakes her head. "Do you believe all this stuff about that woman Cybersix? It's ridiculous. Why are people so obsessed with her?"

"That's easy." Lucas says. "She's beautiful."

Cybersix stares down into her coffee cup.

"It figures you would say that. I forgot I'm talking to men here. I suppose I just answered my own question; people are obsessed with her because of that skin tight suit."

Lucas frowns. "No, it's not like that at all."

Camille rolls her eyes. "Oh, so I suppose you _ don't_ see her as a sex object."

"No. When I say " beautiful," I mean it in the truest sense of the word. Like.... like the way a work of art or a song is beautiful." He looks directly at Cybersix. "Don't you think she's beautiful, Adrian?" 

Cybersix thinks frantically of something to say. "Uh... I never really thought about it." She laughs nervously. "You know me, always got my head stuck in a book." _Okay, that was lame. _She looks down again. _I'm going to get Lucas for this._

"Well, I have to go. Nice talking to you." Camille gets up and leaves.

Composing herself, Cybersix looks Lucas in the eye. "Yashimotto is coming over to my place tonight."

"He is? Why?"

"He called me last night. He says he's got something important to tell me." Yashimotto's actual words to her had been "_This is perhaps the most interesting puzzle I've ever worked on_." She was guessing it would take a lot to make him say something like that.

"What _kind_ of important things?" For the first time Cybersix notices the expression on Lucas' face. Is he _ jealous? He is. He's jealous of Yashimotto!_ She doesn't know whether to find that cute or disturbing. She tries to keep from smiling. It was ridiculous, of course; her and Yashimotto. Although, he is smart and sophisticated and he does treat her with respect. But then, now that she thinks of it, it's nice to have a friend who isn't interested in her romantically for a change. 

Lucas is still looking at her with that confused/suspicious expression that only he can attain. She briefly considers letting him stew - after all, she doesn't have the time or the patience right now to deal with his insecurities - but then she decides against it. "I realize that my apartment is small." She explains. "It's just that my brother is already coming over and I thought it would be more convenient if we all met at once."

"Oh." Lucas' tone indicates he finally understands.

"You can come too if you want."

"Oh, yeah? Okay, I will."

Cybersix looks at her watch. "Well, looks like it's time to go to class."

"Lucas is coming over. I hope you don't mind."

"No, of course not. Hello, Data 7." Yashimotto nods to the panther, who nods back.

"Come on, sit down. So," Cybersix says by way of making conversation. "How's business?"

"Slow, but it always is this time of year."

"You know, we didn't talk about this last time, but his ... what about payment for your help?"

Yashimotto shakes his head and waves his hand at her dismissingly. "No, forget about money. I'm certainly not in dire straits if you're worried about that. Besides, I think I've brought you more questions than answers."

There is a knock at the door. "That would be Lucas." She gets up to answer the door, looking through the people before opening it.

Lucas walks into the apartment. "Hi-" He stops as he takes in Cybersix's appearance; her hair is down and she's not wearing glasses, but she's dressed in "Adrian's" clothes. Weird. 

"So what's this news you have for us?" Cybersix eagerly asks Yashimotto as Lucas sits down. She doesn't even say hi to him.

"Well, to start: I got both the police and the doctor's reports on that girl. It's a rather strange case. I'm very surprised they've been able to keep the details out of the media." He pulls a sheet of paper out of his breast pocket. "The police report. I was only able to copy and paste part of it to my computer - I had to get in and out of there fast. Basically, the cops wrote it up as your average drug-and-rape case - I apologize for the use of the word average, but in my business nothing surprises you after a while. Anyway, that's what the police said, but the medical report is quite different."

"It turns out, when they examined the girl, they couldn't find any DNA on her - and I don't just mean a sample good enough to use in a test, I mean any foreign fibers whatsoever. That's very rare these days, forensics being what they are. Plus, the doctor who did the examination said in her report that the girl's injuries weren't consistent with being raped. She said it was almost as if someone tried to make it _look_ like she was raped, but she really wasn't.

"That's strange." Lucas remarks. "Why would anyone do that?"

"Jose would do that sort of thing for fun." Cybersix comments.

"He would?" Yashimotto shudders, thinking of Ikiko in such hands.

She nods. "But it still doesn't make sense; he's got all his technos to play with. Why bother with a human?"

"Oh, we haven't even gotten to the strange part yet." Yashimotto withdraws another print out. "First, they said that the drug in the girls' system was "of unknown origin." In other words, they had no idea what on Earth it was. But here's the best part. The girl was complaining of pain in the left side of her abdomen, so they did an ultrasound: One of her ovaries was missing."

Cybersix gasps. 

"They took her eggs." Lucas says in awe. He looks up at Cybersix. "That's how VonReichter created you, isn't it?"

She doesn't answer, but simply sits there looking stunned. "Do you know what this means?" She asks quietly. "Jose's a lot smarter and more dangerous than I thought he was."

"But you told me Jose didn't know how to... uh, create... people." Lucas says.

"That's why I thought. But I said that about sustenance too, didn't I?"

Everyone is silent for a moment. Data 7's tail flicks back and forth in irritation.

"So now we have the equivalent of an 8 year old with the power to create any kind of life he wants." Yashimotto muses. "At the risk of sounding like a bad TV hero, we have to stop this guy."

Cybersix nods again. "Yes, we certainly do." She sighs and looks at Yashimotto. "You're the expert; where do we go from here?"

"Well, first ask yourself: What useful things you know about Jose's operations? And what is his weakest point?"

"That's easy. It's Sylvester." Cybersix says. "I know how to deal with _him_."

Yashimotto nods. "So we follow this Sylvester and see where he leads us."

Cybersix cocks an eyebrow at him. "Easier said than done. Sylvester's got very acute hearing - even better than mine. Not to mention a nose like a bloodhound."

"Sounds like a challenge." Yashimotto says easily. "We'll need a good plan then. How about I see what I can find out about Jose's activities, and then we'll talk about this some more?"

"Okay. But be very careful, Yashimotto. I don't want you getting in trouble because of me."

"Don't worry. In my business you have to be good at assessing risks and making strategic moves. It's rather like - oh I don't know - a game of chess." He looks Cybersix in the eye.

She half-smiles at him in return. You had to appreciate this man's style. "I want a rematch."

Yashimotto nods again, his face completely straight. "Of course, any time. Just give me a call." He gets up and puts on his coat. "And now if you'll excuse me, I should be getting home. I have my work cut out for me." He lets himself out the door. 

Cybersix watches him go. She remembers well the chess game she lost to him. After she rescued him and Ikiko, he invited her back to his place for coffee. They made small talk for a few minutes, then he looked at her and said: "_Cybersix, perhaps it's rude of me to ask and I don't want to disrespect your privacy. But if you don't mind answering a few questions, I find myself very curious about you."_

Maybe it was simply because of the way he asked, but she told him everything he wanted to know. He accepted everything she said at face value, absorbing all the information with a serious, thoughtful expression. Once his curiosity had been satisfied, he asked her if she played chess. She said yes, a little, and so they played. And even after just having his concept of reality turned on its head by her story, he still managed to beat her soundly. Yashimotto was not your typical example of a human being.

"Are you sure you want to go after Jose directly?"

Lucas' voice brings Cybersix out of her reverie. Suddenly she remembers what he did to her that morning. She turns to him.

He leans back a little in his seat, taken by her stormy look.. "What?"

"You know what. What you said in the teachers' lounge this morning with Camille."

"Oh. What about that? I don't think there was any danger of revealing your secret."

Her brows draw down even further. "It's not that. You asked me if I thought I was beautiful. That wasn't funny!"

"It wasn't supposed to be funny." Lucas replies levelly. "I was completely serious."

"But that's a ridiculous question!"

Lucas stands up. "No it's not. You _are_ beautiful, Cybersix, whether you realize it or not."

She represses a sigh.

Lucas watches her. "Cybersix." His tone becomes serious. "Maybe this isn't the time, but I can't wait any longer. There's something I really have to know." Without waiting for a reply, he takes a few steps in her direction. "Just tell me this one thing: If you ever knew for sure you weren't dangerous to me, would you... would you want to be with me?"

"Yes." Cybersix only just stops herself from putting her hand over her mouth. That slipped out before she could stop it. _That wasn't what I meant to say. Was it?_

"Oh, good." Both Lucas' voice and face show tremendous relief. And love. "That's all I had to hear." He takes a few more steps toward her. "Relax. I just want to hug you."

Still a little stunned, she allows him to take her into an embrace. _ But it's not that simple_, she thinks, aware that she is enjoying the feel of Lucas' arms around her. _ And it will never be_. "But Lucas, you have to realize that that will never happen." She says against his shoulder.

He pushes her to arm's length and looks at her. "I was just speaking hypothetically. Besides, you never know, maybe one day an opportunity will come up and we'll solve this whole sustenance thing."

Cybersix mentally rolls her eyes. 'Solve this whole sustenance thing?' That was being foolishly optimistic.

Lucas lets her go. "And ,uh, about that. I was thinking... why don't we break into Jose's place again and still more sustenance from that pit? I don't really have the knowledge to figure out how it works, but I could learn. I found this place that has good prices on chemistry books..."

He trails off as she shakes her head. "I tried that once before and almost got myself killed. That place has one heavy duty security system. We only got in last time because of the confusion after the Isle of Doom; no one was home then. There's no way we'd get away with that again."

"Oh." Lucas sighs dismally. "I guess I'll just try and get that vial back from Kevin again." He moves toward the door.

"Lucas,"

"Yes?" He turns around hopefully. 

"Remember what I said; don't tell Kevin anything."

He closes his eyes and nods, depressed. "I won't."

****

The phone is ringing when Lucas enters his apartment. He runs and picks up the receiver. "Hello?"

It's Kevin, and he sounds out of breath. "Lucas, I'm so glad I caught you. I don't know how to tell you this, but your vial's been stolen."


	11. Darkness Falls

New Page 1

After the End - Chapter 11

"Yes Master. I'm here." 

VonReichter looks up at the screen as Techno 39 's face comes into focus. He casually leans back in his chair. "Report. Have there been any changes with the girl?" 

"No, Master. She's still sticking to that fabricated story you fed her." 

"Good. So I can consider the experiment a success. And what of the situation with Cybersix?" 

The techno tries to hide a wince. "Well, the girl's family is putting significant pressure on us to find her and question her. The brother has convinced them all she had something to do with it. They've become a bit obsessed." 

"They need a scapegoat." VonReichter observes. 

Techno 39 bows his head in a respectful manner, then continues. "Formally, everyone on the force has been told to look for her, but no one's really expecting anyone to succeed in bringing her in. The technos aren't having any trouble maintaining that they can't locate her." 

"Does the girl remember seeing Cybersix?" 

"Yes, although vaguely." 

"Hmmm. So the effect doesn't last that long." He pauses before changing the subject. "I've heard that the press is fixating on Cybersix. What is the public saying?" 

"There's still very divided. Some people - religious zealots mostly - think she's evil, others think she's some kind of vigilante heroine. But either way, all of them are out looking for her." 

"That is not good." VonReichter growls. "I do not want her in the public eye." 

"If I may say so, sir, this whole thing is Sylvester's fault for letting her see him." 

"No you may not say so. _I_ will decide that." 

Once again Techno 39 ducks his head. "Of course, Master. I presumed." 

VonReichter mentally takes note of the techno's behavior. 39 is one of his best operatives. "All right, here are your orders: Recommend that both the girl and the boy enter therapy. Send them to Techno 26; I will give you her number. She will see to it that they give up this ridiculous notion of pursuing Cybersix. Spread word to the others that if anyone asks them about her, they are to play down all the rumors. Pass her off as nothing more than a pitiful street walker with delusions of being a super hero. And remind them that you're the police; you know better than they do. That is all." 

"Yes Master. It will be done right away." Recognizing the dismissal, Techno 39 signs off. 

VonReichter pushes his chair out from the desk and looks under it. "Sylvester." 

"Yes?" replies a muffled voice. Sylvester is curled up at his master's feet, his forehead resting on his folded arms and his face pressed into the floor. 

"Sit up." 

Slowly the slave pulls himself up into a sitting position, still keeping his head bowed and his eyes downcast. "Master I swear to you I didn't see her there." He begins to sob. "I would have told you right away. I know I should have heard her approach. I'm inadequate. I don't deserve your forgiveness. But really I didn't know she was there. I would never keep such a thing from you-" 

"It's all right, Sylvester. I believe you." 

He stops babbling and tentatively looks up. 

"You're forgiven. Now stop crying." 

Sylvester stops sobbing instantly. He suddenly grasps VonReichter's legs, wrapping himself around them. "Oh, thank you Master. You're so kind."

"However,"VonReichter takes the boy's chin in his hand and raises his face. "Next time, be more careful. Cybersix can jump to the highest points in the city, and her sight is keen. Remember that her eyes are everywhere." 

"Oh, yes Master. I will." Sylvester replies emphatically. 

VonReichter lets go of his face, satisfied. His mind turns to the many other problems he has to deal with, not the least one of which is keeping Cybersix alive until he's ready for her. He begins to think, unconsciously placing a hand on Sylvester's head. "Cybersix will need more sustenance soon." He mutters to himself. 

Still sitting on the floor, Sylvester perks up attentively. "Do you want me to feed her again, Master?" 

VonReichter doesn't reply right away. Sylvester is his most valuable asset right now, and he doesn't like the idea of letting Cybersix feed off him. There is almost no chance she would actually kill him, but it's the principle of the thing. On the other hand, it _is_ worth a little sacrifice to get Cybersix back. 

Hmmm... Sacrifice. Yes; he can kill two birds with one stone. He looks back down at Sylvester. "No, that won't be necessary. I have a better idea."

As soon as the door closes behind Lucas, Cybersix walks to her closet and begins reflexively changing into her suit. She thinks back on all the things Yashimotto said: Now there was no doubt Jose was responsible for what happened to that girl. And it wasn't as if this was his first crime either.

She sighs to herself. After VonReichter was killed, she felt as though an incredible weight had been lifted off a shoulders. But now she is beginning to realize that, in his way, Jose could be worse than his father ever was. Whereas VonReichter had operated on logic - well, most of the time anyway - Jose operated on raw emotion. It made him unpredictable. An immature 8 year old with almost limitless power....

Actually, now that she thinks of it, Jose is really like one big walking "id" - all wants and desires, with no sense of responsibility or empathy. 

And it's time he was stopped, regardless of how long it took them to plan and to gather together enough resources to do it. 

"Them..." It seems she has friends to help her now. She only hopes they don't get hurt, or even killed....

Done changing, Cybersix looks meaningfully at Data 7. Right now, she has more immediate concerns. Sustenance. She can feel it starting; the burning in her arms and legs, the headache, the thirst that water couldn't quench. She needs. She _hates_ this. It always makes her feel like some kind of drug addict, although logically she knows that she can't live without sustenance; it isn't just for pleasure. But of all the things VonReichter ever did to her... Dependence, the ball and chain he makes her carry. 

But at least tonight she is guaranteed life, she reminds herself. She still has that one precious vial of sustenance left. But in order to make it last as long as possible, she will still go out and hunt for a while before resorting to drinking it. 

Cybersix steps up on to her windowsill and, as she always does before jumping, scans the immediate area. There... in the alley across the street a human figure is crouched in the shadows. She sees the round orange glow of a lit cigarette move up, then down as the user takes a drag. She narrows her eyes, looking closer. The figure begins to look familiar. She looks beside her at Data 7. He nods.

The techno. The same one she met up with when Lori was here the other night. In the exact same spot. Twice is not coincidence.

So it seems she will do even more than just hunt tonight. She jumps out the window, moving away from the techno so he won't know she's seen him. Data 7 stays in the apartment.

Now a few buildings over, she doubles back to where the stupid techno is still watching her. Crouching down, she gathers herself. Something takes her over. Her mind blocks out everything except her prey. She dives off the roof and lands only a little distance from the him.

Caught like a deer in the headlights, he looks at her stunned. Then an expression of horror forms on his face as he sees his own mortality in her eyes. He drops the cigarette and runs.

Entirely too late, of course. Cybersix leaps after him, catching up in only a few quick bounds. Her hand lunges out to grab him by the hair and viciously pull him back. He gives a little cry of dismay as she gets her other arm around his waist, pinning him against her body. He begins to struggle, pinching her wrist until he draws blood in effort to make her let go.

Completely unaware that she does it, Cybersix growls, distantly annoyed at the techno's feeble attempts at escape. She pins his arms to his sides, then puts her other hand over his mouth to prevent him from screaming. Ignoring his frantically kicking legs, she drags him backwards into the nearest alley.

Amongst the comforting shadows, she quickly wrestles the techno to the ground. With the ease of long practice she straddles him, her knees pinning his wrists to his sides and her ankles pushing down on his thighs. One hand lifts his head off the ground, the other again clamps down firmly on his mouth. Briefly his eyes draw hers; abject fear. Most technos are resigned by this point, but this one knows exactly what's coming. He continues to struggle futilely.

She tilts his neck upward, exposing the white skin. She bites, ripping his flesh to get at the vein. She begins to suck as hard and fast as she can.

Gradually the techno stops struggling as strength flows out of him and into her. She can feel the sustenance seeping into her body, giving her health, easing her pain.

When she has taken all she can handle she leans back, resting her hands on the techno's shoulders. She closes her eyes and sighs deeply at the familiar relief - no, pleasure. 

Still without conscious thought, she looks at her victim's face. He hasn't opened his eyes. She can feel him holding his breath, waiting. She places her hands on either side of his face and twists. 

The sound and feel of his neck snapping wakes her up.

Watching from across the street, Lori takes an involuntary step backward. Her jaw drops and her heart begins to beat fast. _This is not TV,_ her brain reminds her unnecessarily. _This is real life, and she just..._ sucked that man's blood and... killed him? Or did she just imagine the twist of the neck?

Cybersix. Who is Adrian. Just killed somebody. _I must be having a nightmare. _Her own teacher, the one she'd had a crush on until she found out-

A hand clamps over Lori's mouth and someone grabs her from behind. Already stunned, she's too slow realizing what's happening. Her captor effortlessly drags her back into the alley and pushes her roughly up against the wall. She grunts at the impact. Then her heart begins to pound harder as she recognizes who has her.

"You again," Sylvester whispers.

Lori's skin begins to crawl at the knowledge that this disgusting freak is touching her. She tries to struggle, striking out blindly with a leg and missing.

In the blink of an eye Sylvester has both her wrists pinned above her head with one hand, all without taking his other one off her mouth. She pulls frantically against his grip on her wrists, but it's like being held by an iron shackle. She stops and is still, trying not to breathe hard.

In a sudden lunging movement Sylvester thrusts his face into hers. Her heart skips a beat. "Listen to me, girl." He hisses menacingly. "You did not see Cybersix tonight. If you tell a single soul what you just saw _I_ _will_ _kill you. _Understand?"

More afraid than she's ever been in her life, Lori nods meekly.

"Good." She catches a glimpse of a black tongue as he licks his lips. Repulsed, her stomach twists alarmingly . "You just remember; this is the second time I've caught you." He continues. "If there is a third time you will _ not_ live to tell about it." Suddenly he spins her around to face the back of the alley. "Go that way."He says, giving her a shove.

Her knees feeling dangerously watery, Lori starts to walk away. She checks nervously over her shoulder to see if the freak is following her, but he's standing still, watching her, his pale skin glowing in the moonlight. 

She will never go out at night without her guys again.


	12. Opportunity

The sky is just beginning to take on a red tinge as Cybersix steps back through her window

After the End - Chapter 12

The sky is just beginning to take on a red tinge as Cybersix steps back through her window. She'd needed to work the edge off after killing that techno and so had jumped around the rooftops for hours. A waste of energy, but... Finally a little tired, she goes over to her bed and sits down, sighing.

She'd had to kill him. He had shown up here twice, which meant he knew where she lived. Or at least had a very strong suspicion. She only hoped he hadn't told Jose already.

Or is she just being paranoid? Had she really needed to kill him?

She hears a sound outside and looks up to see Data 7 peering at her from the windowsill.

"Data," She speaks quietly. "You should get going. It'll be light soon."

Ignoring her, he hops down and walks over to sit silently in front of her.

Their eyes meet. Cybersix sighs again and looks away. She wonders what her brother would say to her now if he could only talk. He knows what's going on - what had happened to her tonight.

She'd lost herself again. From the time she'd descended on the techno to the time his neck had snapped in her hands there had been no thought. Only reaction. Events unfolded in images, sounds, sensations. It was some kind of... altered state. It was...

Exactly what Cybers were supposed to do. She didn't know if it was in their genes or a result of their training, but either way, it was the way VonReichter made them.

It had been happening ever since she was a little kid; something inside her would click and suddenly she would feel calm but alert, her mind completely still. It was as if information went in through her senses and directly caused her body to react, bypassing her brain altogether. When she woke up the memories of what she'd done would come back to her in pictures and sounds, like a movie.

And yet it never makes her do anything she doesn't intend to - just like she had, in fact, intended to kill that techno. So it isn't a loss of control. Or is it? She can't figure it out. It happens at the strangest times, too, not just when she hunts or is in danger. But she hates it.

Data 7 comes and rubs his head against her stomach, making a purring noise low in his throat. He's trying to comfort her, she knows. She places a hand on his neck. "It's all right, Brother, I'll be okay. Now you'd better get going unless you want to be stuck here all day."

He looks up at her with an expression like _you'd better be telling the truth, _then turns and disappears out the window.

Cybersix kicks off her shoes and, not bothering to get undressed, lies down on the bed. She can still catch a few hour's sleep before work.

Cybersix joins the crowd of people migrating toward the school. It's a bright, sunny day and the weather's beginning to get really warm. This is the time of year she starts wishing she could wear short sleeved shirts.

"Adrian!" She turns to see Lucas running up to her. He looks tired and disheveled, like he'd had a really rough night. He skids to a stop in front of her. "I really need to talk to you."

"Okay. What's up?" She tries to sound casual, but she can tell something's wrong.

Lucas hesitates. "No. Not here, not now. Can you meet me right after school?"

"Sure."

He nods jerkily. "I'll come to your classroom then." He spins on a heel and walks off uncharacteristically quickly.

Cybersix frowns to herself. After last night, she'd been hoping for a quiet few days. But she shrugs Lucas' behavior off as she opens the school's front door. Right now it will be nice to have just an average day at work.

****

The day does indeed progress normally, but by the time last period is drawing to a close, Cybersix finds herself itching to know what Lucas wants to talk to her about. Finally the bell rings and she begins to gather up her notes.

Looking up across the room, she notices Lori whispering to her gang and making shooing motions at them. Now that she thinks of it, the girl was unusually subdued during class today. She has a feeling something's coming.

Sure enough, after everyone else cleared out, Lori is still sitting at her desk. She looks upset. "Is there something wrong, Lori?" Cybersix tries to keep the reluctance out of her voice. She doesn't have time to deal with Lori right now, what with something being wrong with Lucas.

Lori is still for a minute, looking straight at her with a blank expression on her face. "I saw you last night." She half whispers.

Her heart skipping momentarily , Cybersix tries to look busy organizing papers. She asks calmly. "Saw me what?"

"You sucked that guy's blood, and then you killed him. " Lori's voice is quiet but steady.

Cybersix freezes. She's always known this day would come. One of her worst nightmares. She looks up at Lori.

"Are you some kind of vampire? Is that where you get your powers from?"

"No, I'm not. Look, I can explain what happened, but not now and not here. If I could meet you somewhere-"

The girl scowls. "You think I'm going anywhere with you? How do I know you won't bite me too?"

She sighs. "Lori, that man you saw wasn't human. And I don't bite humans."

"He looked human enough to me."

"So do I."

She looks intrigued as she realizes the implications of this. "You mean you're not? But what-"

They both turn as the classroom door opens. Lucas pokes his head in. "Oh, sorry. I didn't know you were with a student."

"Give us a minute, okay Lucas?"

"Sure." He sounds impatient, but closes the door, leaving them alone again.

Cybersix moves out from behind her desk to stand in front of Lori. "I meant what I said about being able to explain. You just give me a place and time where I can meet you."

Lori looks skeptical.

Cybersix represses a sigh. "Look, don't you think if I wanted to bite you, I would have taken you up on one of your previous offers to meet somewhere private?"

"Okay," Lori concedes after a bit of thought. "Meet me in Westpark by the fountain." She gets up to leave.

"When?"

She stops abruptly in her tracks. "Not after dark."

"Fine. How about five-thirty?"

"Okay." Lori walks out the door, brushing by Lucas. He doesn't come inside, but stands at the door waiting for Cybersix to follow. They leave the school in silence; it's obvious that what ever Lucas has to say must be said in private. That has her worried.

Finally they reach his apartment. "What is this all about?" Cybersix asks as soon as they are inside.

Lucas shuts the door firmly behind them and sighs. He takes a moment to turn to her. "I have some bad news. Please don't be angry with me, but.... that he vial of sustenance I gave to my friend? It was stolen from him two days ago."

Cybersix is absolutely still, a stony expression on her face.

"Look, it wasn't Kevin's fault. " Lucas says placatingly. "He had it locked up and everything. Who ever took it must have known it was there."

Cybersix begins to pace; definitely not a good sign. "This is really bad, Lucas."

"I know. But maybe, with any luck, it was just a techno who took it to drink it, and-"

"You'd better hope it wasn't." She stops pacing and turns to face him. "If it was 'just a techno' they'll report it to Jose, and _he'll_ want to know exactly how the vial got there. In fact, your friend could be in danger."

Lucas' expression becomes grave. "So what can we do?"

"I don't know." Cybersix thinks. "Considering the tight security there, it was most likely one of your friend's co-workers. Does anyone there seem suspicious to him?"

"I don't know, I'll have to ask him."

"Just tell him to be very careful for a while. No going out alone at night, that sort of thing." _Although if Jose sends a type after him, no amount of being careful will help. _She adds to herself.

"Okay." He sighs. "You know, this is so frustrating. Kevin told me he was making good progress testing the sustenance, doing an analysis on it."

"Really? Did he tell you what's in it?" Cybersix asks quickly.

"No. He wouldn't tell me anything. But he did say that if he was able to get just a bit more of it, he would probably be able to figure out how to replicate it."

"Well, I do have that one vial left, but I don't want to give it up." She shakes her head. "It's not very often I have the luxury of time in the bank."

Lucas nods. "I understand. But you know, uh, I did think of a really simple way we could get more for him."

"Oh?"

He hesitates. "Well, it's in your blood, right? So we just give Kevin a sample of your blood. He could draw it himself; he knows how."

"But then he'd have to know about me. Have you-"

"No, I haven't told him. But I really think we should." He rushes on as an objection forms on her face. "Listen to me, Cybersix. This could be your golden opportunity. What if he really _can_ do it? Just think; no more risking your neck to get sustenance, no more living day-by-day, never knowing if you'll still be okay tomorrow..."

Cybersix turns away from him. Lucas' words resonate in her like sound in a tuning fork. _What if? _But is it worth the risk? "I don't know, Lucas. I'll have to think about it."

"So what happens if you can't find some in time?"

"Then I die. It's been close before." Cybersix replies.

Her expression unreadable, Lori looks out the broken window. After meeting at the park, the two of them had moved to an abandoned warehouse in the harbor district. Here, they were certain of not being overheard, which makes both of them feel safer.

It's nearly dark now; they've been talking for a long time. Cybersix has just finished telling Lori everything about her life - after what the girl's seen, she thinks, it's probably best to just come clean.

"So why did you kill that guy - I mean, uh, "techno" - if you don't normally?"

She takes a breath. "I had reason to believe he found me out - discovered my secret identity. If he reported it to Jose, I'd be as good as dead. It would just be a matter of time."

Lori is silent for another minute. Cybersix waits patiently while she tries to absorb everything she's just heard.

Then the girl takes a breath. "There is something else you should know, Cybersix. About what happened last night, I mean."

"Yes?" She prompts when Lori become silent again.

"Well, after I saw you, somebody grabbed me. It was one of the guys who was with that obnoxious kid - Jose - when he kidnapped me that time. You know, the ugly one with the black under his eyes and black lips?" She shudders involuntarily. "I thought that was all make up until... until last night."

Cybersix becomes intently alert. "What did he do to you?"

"He told me that if I told anyone what I saw you do he'd kill me."

Her blood turns to ice water.

"But I don't get it," Lori continues. "I thought you and him were on opposite sides."

"We are." She answers in a quiet voice. She's just as confused; why would Sylvester - or for that matter Jose - care if someone found out she attacked people? Wouldn't that work to their advantage? "I don't know what's going on either. But I can find out."

"Would he... would he really kill me?" Lori's voice is the smallest she's ever heard it. Anger sparks inside Cybersix. First Lucas' friend Kevin and now Lori are both in serious danger because of her. And then there's Yashimotto, who even now is sticking his neck out for her. She abruptly gets up off the old crate they've been sitting on. "Don't worry, Lori. You're not much of a threat to him." But this thing is, she knows Sylvester really would kill Lori if for some reason she became a threat. "Just don't go anywhere alone at night or anything like that." She's said the exact same thing earlier that day. "And if you see him again, act scared. Now come on, it's getting late. I'll walk you home."

"Okay." Lori gets up and follows her out into the night.


	13. The Fight

Cybersix and Lori walk through the quiet city streets

After the End - Chapter 13

Cybersix and Lori walk through the quiet city streets. Clouds had moved in at sunset, and the thin crescent moon struggles to offer any light at all to the dreary night.

Nearing Lori's house, they enter one of the poorer neighborhoods in town. Cybersix figured the girl lived in an area like this. Part of her reason for walking Lori home is to make her feel safe, but also to find out where she lives. That way, she and Data 7 can guard her from Sylvester.

Cybersix is thinking about how best to protect her student when an overwhelming sense of foreboding grips her. She stops in her tracks. Lori turns to her and opens her mouth to ask what's wrong.

"Stop!" The voice cuts into the heavy night and cuts off Lori's question. It comes from the alley up ahead.

"Stay!" Cybersix tells the girl, then sprints off in the direction of the voice.

"Help!"

She rounds the corner and immediately takes in the scene. A dark figure - a woman - holding a man against the wall. A knife glinting at the man's throat. Without another thought Cybersix dives for the assailant, body checking the woman out of the way. _Type. _She grabs the hand with the knife and pulls it away from the man. The attacker loses her grip on the weapon and it flies into the darkness, the hard clang of its landing breaking the stillness a seconds later.

Cybersix glances over at the type's intended victim. The man's face is familiar; she's seen him somewhere - maybe on the news? He looks back at her, stunned, his face a chalky white. "Get out of here!" She yells at him.

He blinks once, then spins around and runs for the street. The type assassin starts after him. Cybersix jumps over her head, landing to stand between her and her prey.

The type stops only a few inches away from Cybersix. Dressed all in black with long black hair tied back from a beautifully sculpted face, sharp contrast emanates from her ice blue eyes, which at this moment blaze in fury. "Cyber 6." The smooth deep voice spits out the name like a curse.

Saying nothing, Cybersix stares back unflinchingly into her cold eyes.

"I've been waiting a long time for this." The type tenses.

Cybersix follows suit. "Which one are you?"

"2." The second most oldest and experienced.

"You think you're so good, cyber? I haven't lost a fight in three years."

So she wants a fight, does she? She obviously isn't going to go away gently. "But you've never fought me." Cybersix answers quietly. They stare into each other's eyes for several seconds. Then both women instinctively drop into their fighting stances, each taking a few steps back to asses their opponent. They begin to circle.

Just as Cybersix expected, Type 2 attacks first, jumping at her with a powerful front kick. Cybersix steps back and the type's foot passes inches from her face. She answers with her own kick, her foot landing squarely on the other woman's belly. The force of the blow sends the type flying backwards. But instead of slamming helplessly into the far wall, the type bounces right off it, springing back to land easily in front of Cybersix. 

She is good. It's been a long time since Cybersix has had a fight like this, one on one against a skilled opponent. She steps in to engage her enemy. A rapid volley of punches, kicks, spins and blocks ensues, both women using the limits of their skill, giving as good as they get. Cybersix takes a solid punch in the ribs but jumps back in to plant a foot on Type 2's kneecap. Fists and feet continue to fly for several intense minutes. They've had the same training; they're of relatively equal size. The fight will come down to whoever makes the first mistake.

The fighters are still for a split second before rushing in to attack again. Cybersix goes on the offensive, blocking a punch with her forearm and landing an uppercut of her own on the type's jaw. Moving with the momentum instead of against it, the type turns the motion into a high roundhouse kick. Cybersix blocks the leg just before it hits her ear, grabs it with both hands, and pushes. Her opponent topples over backward. She lunges forward to pin her down but is stopped cold by the sudden shock of the other woman's foot connecting with her chin. She stumbles backward as Type 2 leaps to her feet. 

Suddenly gaining new respect for each other's skills, the fighters back off and circle each other again. Then, as if cued by some unconscious a signal, both jump at exactly the same instant. They meet in the air, slamming into each other's bodies. The fight turns into a wrestling match as they grasp each other, twisting in the air to determine who lands on top. The wind rushes by Cybersix's ears as Type 2 gets above her. If they land like this, she's done for.

Just in the nick of time she manages to get her knees between them and kick the other woman's hips away. Cybersix flips over in the air like a cat, barely striking the ground with her feet under her.

Knocked off balance, the type lands flat on her back, grunting at the impact. Smelling victory, Cybersix jumps on the woman's waist, deftly grabs her wrists and pins them above her head.

The tableau holds for a moment, both women panting, Cybersix with her face directly over Type 2's. Determined coal black eyes meet hateful ice blue ones once more. 

"I win." Cybersix leans down to bite her victim's neck.

The type growls furiously as the cyber's teeth sink into her, but she's helpless to stop it. Cybersix savors the taste of the concentrated sustenance in the type's blood. Unfortunately it's too soon for her to need a full dose right now, but she takes enough to replace what she will have lost in the fight. Quickly satisfied, she raises her neck to look in her opponent's face.

"Damn, you are good." Type 2 grits out.

"Are you going to go quietly?" Cybersix asks.

Hatred flashes again in the other woman's eyes, but it quickly disappears. She nods her head. Cybersix gets off her and both of them rise slowly to their feet. Type 2 gives her one last look, then turns around walks away, limping slightly but head held high.

"Master's not going to be happy about me losing that target." Cybersix hears her mumble as she rounds the corner.

Hmm. So Jose's calling himself Master now. Only now starting to feel her injuries, Cybersix walks slowly back to where Lori's been watching from a safe distance.

"Wow." The girl says as she approaches. "Not your average chic fight. Are you okay?"

"I'll live." Cybersix runs a hand through her hair. Looking at her arm, Lori sees a gash from where the other woman's fingernail raked her. Then she notices the black "6" of her tattoo sticking out below her bunched up sleeve. 

"So I guess you won't be coming to school tomorrow."

"Yes I will. Why wouldn't I?" 

"You're hurt."

Cybersix snorts derisively. "I've been hurt a lot worse than this. This is par for the course in my life." She starts walking down the street. "Come on, let's go."

Seeing her teacher in a whole new light for the second time that year, Lori follows.

"Come in."

Lucas walks past Kevin into the apartment. He decides to get right to the point. He tries to act casual as he takes off his coat and sits down. "So...Do you have any leads on who might have stolen that vial?"

"Leads?" Kevin smiles ruefully. "I'm not a TV cop, Lucas. And no, I have no idea who it might've been." He sits down on the other chair. "Drink?"

"Uh, no thanks. Listen, I came here to tell you something."

Kevin looks at him attentively.

"I was talking to my friend - the one who found the vial? - and she said there might be some powerful people after it. She said you should lay low for a while, you know, be extra careful where you go, who you trust."

Kevin regards his friend seriously as a this news sinks in. "Lucas, are you in some kind of trouble over that stuff? If you are, I want to know; maybe I can help. Besides," He adds quietly. "If this concerns me too, I think I have a right to know."

"No," Lucas hesitates. "I'm not in any kind of trouble."

"But I take it this friend of yours is?"

Lucas looks up into his mild eyes. He sighs. "Okay, Kevin. I'll tell you where that vial came from. But first you've got to swear to me that you won't tell a single soul."

"I swear." Kevin replies steadily.

Lucas sighs again. "Okay. You've heard of Cybersix?...."


	14. 

New Page 1

After the End - Chapter 14

"Checkmate."

Cybersix sighs and looks up at Yashimotto. "Okay, I give up. That's three games now; you're obviously better at this than I am." 

He smiles gently at her, eyes sparkling. " How much chess have you played anyway?"

"Oh, I don't know. Six or seven games, I guess."

"Well that's your problem. You just need more practice. I've been playing since I was quite young." He leans over and begins re-arranging the pieces on the board.

Cybersix looks up at the clock on the wall. Nine-thirty. She's spent the whole evening at Yashimotto's. First, he'd told her about all the things he'd discovered about Jose's activities. Most of it was stuff she already knew - the infiltration of the Mayor's Office, the organized crime rings - and then they'd started playing chess. And he is cleaning her clock. Where is that super-concentration state when she needs it? She looks him in the eye. "It's getting late. If you still want to continue on with this, we need to discuss strategy."

Yashimotto looks down at the game board. "Ah, well, I could talk about chess for a long time..."

"Uh, no. I meant our strategy concerning Jose. Are you sure you still want to be involved with going after him?"

"Oh, of course. Yes I do. So let's discuss."

Cybersix lands on a rooftop and takes a deep breath of the cool night air. She feels better after her talk with Yashimotto the night before; it's good to have a solid plan for dealing with Jose, even if they might not succeed. It's even better to have help dealing with him. She springs off the roof, aiming for Lucas' open window; he'd told her earlier that day he wanted to see her.

She lands in his living room to find him sitting a his chair looking down at his clasped hands. His head snaps up when he hears her.

"You called, Lucas?" She poses in front of the window like Superman, her hands on her hips, her cape rustling in the breeze from outside. She's feeling unusually light-hearted tonight.

"Uh, yeah, we have to talk." He replies, not noticing her attempt at humor. "It's about Kevin."

"Oh? Has he found anything out?"

"Uh..." The irony of that question is not lost on Lucas. "Sit down, please."

For the first time Cybersix notices Lucas' serious mood. She sits down in the indicated chair and looks at him expectantly.

He licks his lips and fidgets, clearly nervous. "Well, you see, it's like this-"

"Oh no. Something bad didn't happen to him because of the sustenance, did it?"

"No. It's not that. I told him what you said about being careful and everything, and he said... well, he said he felt he had a right to know what's going on if he's in danger because of it. So I told him."

There is a pause. "Told him what, exactly?"

"Everything. About you. About VonReichter and the sustenance and all the others..."

Darkness falls on Cybersix's face. Lucas plunges on before she can speak. "Before you say anything, it really was the right thing to do, because-"

"It was the right thing to do to betray me?" Her voice is jagged ice.

"I didn't "betray" you. Like I said, it had to be done. If I didn't tell Kevin he'd try to find out for himself, and-"

Cybersix's good mood is shattered. She abruptly stands up and looms over him. "That's not the point, Lucas! The reason doesn't matter. You willingly told someone things I asked you not to. I call that betrayal!

Lucas also stands up and holds his hands out to her placatingly. "Please don't be angry, Cybersix."

"How can I not be? I trusted you!" Hurt evident in her voice, she whirls and starts walking over to the window. "Thanks for everything, Lucas!"

"Wait!" Lucas calls after her. "Don't leave. Where are you going?"

She turns back around. "Why should I tell you all my business? Obviously that was a mistake the first time."

His face becomes tender. "Look, Cybersix, you know I care about you. I really was doing what I thought was best."

She relaxes a tiny bit. "I have to meet Yashimotto."

"Yashimotto? Why?"

There's that nosiness again. "Well if you must know, we're going to Jose's mansion. On a stakeout." She resumes her progress toward the window .

"What?" Why didn't you tell me about this? Why can't I come?"

Cybersix sighs exasperatingly at the ludicrousness of his question. Pausing with one foot on the windowsill, she turns around to look at him. "Because, Lucas, you'd only be in the way." She leaps out of his apartment.

VonReichter opens the door of his secret lab to admit Type 2. He turns in his chair as she walks in. His mouth opens to demand a report on her mission, then closes when he sees the condition she's in. "What happened?" 

"Cybersix attacked me, Master."

"Did you destroy the target?" His voice is sharp.

"No."

He is silent for a moment. "I see. And did she see you near him or his property?"

Type 2 takes a deep breath. "Well, you see, it was more like-" She makes the mistake of looking into his hard eye. Her head bows. "Yes, Master."

"And what you have to say for yourself?"

"I'm sorry, Master. It will never happen again." She replies emotionlessly.

VonReichter stands up and begins examining her injuries, poking a few suspicious places. "Is that the best you can do? Not a very eloquent speaker."

Accustomed to his, Type 2 ignores his prodding. "Master, I ne-"

"Shut up. I don't need to hear anymore." He goes to over to his work bench, picks up one of his instruments, and walks back to her. "Stand still." He pushes the plunger of the instrument down on the side of her neck. She gasps and crumples to the floor.

VonReichter takes the type by the shoulders, drags her across the floor, and wrestles her into his one and only tank. He stands back and it is still for a moment, looking at her. Then he takes in a breath and gives vent to a scream of pure rage.

Jumping over the streets with only a vague knowledge of where she's going, Cybersix tries to quell the storm rising within her. Her mind keeps insisting that what just happened must have been a dream. _No. I don't have time to deal with this right now._ Entering the alley way behind Yashimotto's place, she squares her shoulders and composes herself.

She looks up at the second-floor window to see him watching for her. He moves away from the open window as he sees her approach, and she vaults easily over the sill.

"Hello, Cybersix." Yashimotto is busily checking the numerous pockets of his black trench coat, ready to go. 

"Yashimotto, are you sure you want to go through with this?" She asks him.

"Yes. Why do you ask?" He questions seriously, his eyes thoughtful. "Do you think I'll be a liability?" 

"No, it's not that. I just wanted to make sure you know this is going to be dangerous, and I thought what with Ikiko..."

"Yes, I thought of that too." He replies knowingly. "But then I thought, I don't want her growing up in a world where Jose has any more power than he already does. And I know it's up to us to stop him, because he and his father have already corrupted the authorities. Besides, Ikiko is taken care of if something happens to me."

Cybersix studies him. "And what about the danger to yourself?"

"That's part of what I do... what I am. I'm curious enough to risk seeing this through. And yes, I know curiosity killed the cat." He adds when he sees the expression on her face. "But I figure I've only used four lives so far, so that means I've still got five more." He grins.

She grins back. "Okay, let's get started then. But remember what I said before; if you want to come with me, you have to follow my instructions."

"Which are what? You didn't say last night."

_Oh yeah, that's right._ Cybersix takes a breath to collect her thoughts. "Okay. Rule number one: If we do manage to get on Sylvester's trail, absolutely no talking. Not even a whisper. You have to be as silent as you can." She notes the bulges in his pockets. "And there better not be any clinking from that coat of yours."

He nods solemnly. "Already taken care of."

She nods back. "We'll have to watch the wind too. If we get downwind of him he'll smell us."

"Really? He's that powerful?"

"Oh, yes. VonReichter used to use him to track animals in the jungle. Rule number 2: If it comes to a fight - with _ any_ of Jose's minions - let Data 7 and I handle it." Remember they're much stronger than any human. Do not try to do anything heroic." 

He nods again. "Got it."

"I really mean it, Yashimotto."

"I know." 

He seems to be taking her seriously. Lucas, Cybersix thinks to herself, would still try to do something heroic. She suppresses a pang of hurt and goes on. "There's one more thing, and it's very important. _If_ we happen to run into Jose, whatever you do, don't go after him directly. The fixed ideas are - how can I put it - "programmed" to attack anyone who threatens him, and he never goes out without at least three of them."

"Okay. I see." His eyes become thoughtful again. "Hmm, how interesting."

Cybersix shoots him a warning look.

"Yes, I know. I promise I won't let curiosity get the better of me. Now, are we ready to go?"

She nods. "We're going to meet Data7 near the storm drains on Portsmouth." She walks back to the window. "See you in the alley."


	15. Fading Light

New Page 1

After the End - Chapter 15

Yashimoto turns to look at Cybersix. Now things are getting interesting. She shakes her head slightly and holds the up her hand for him to wait. He looks back at the mansion and watches as the man who must be Sylvester scurries along the stone wall toward the back of the property, apparently trying to remain unseen. Minutes ago he had jumped from a third story window, carrying a large duffle bag. Which raised the first two questions: Why was he leaving secretly by the window instead of using the front door? And what was in the bag?

Not until Sylvester disappears around the far corner of the wall does Cybersix motion for them to get up and follow. Yashimoto firmly reminds himself of her admonition to be quiet as he follows her to the wall. She indicates that Data 7 should take the lead, and the three of them begin to track Sylvester's path.

When they get to the corner, Data 7 stops and Cybersix again motions for Yashimoto to wait. Standing behind her, he can't see what's going on ahead. A grating sound intrudes over the night insects.

Seconds later Data 7 starts forward and they follow him out into a field behind the houses. He stops at a manhole cover sunk into the bare ground and puts his paw on it. 

Cybersix gives Yashimoto a look like "it figures," then kneels down and whispers something in the panther's ear. He nods briskly and turns around, bounding off into the brush surrounding the back of the mansion. She spreads her hands and shrugs her shoulders at Yashimoto; of course, Data 7 can't follow them down the manhole. She removes the cover easily, revealing complete darkness beyond, then starts down the ladder unhesitatingly.

Yashimoto wonders how they're going to get by down there with only the miniature flashlight they have, but because he promised, he follows her and remains silent.

Shaking off the sleep from his nap, VonReichter stretches languorously as he enters into his lab. He glances over at Type 2, sitting slouched in the tank, her back to him. He strolls over and leans close to the side, then knocks on it like a door.

Type 2's head jerks up abruptly. She squints at him through slitted eyes before turning away and burying her head in her arms once more.

He opens up the tank and reaches in to grab her chin, lifting her face to his. Slumping weakly in his grasp, she tries to stop herself from trembling, without much success. Her eyes remain closed. VonReichter pushes her head back to better examine the rest of her body. Sweat glistens on her collar and is beginning to show through under her breasts. Her breathing is a bit too heavy. 

He releases her chin and waits while she slowly sits back. Then he raises his hands and claps them together loudly in her face. She whimpers feebly, hands moving to cover her ears at the painful noise.

He makes no attempt to keep the grin off his face. "What do you say now?"

She lowers her hands to her sides, her head hanging. "Please,"

"That's better. " He leaves her and returns a moment later with a vial of sustenance. Taking her by the hair, he tilts her head back and pours it down her throat. She gulps it down eagerly, moaning a little. He feeds her another half a vial to fully restore her levels, then waits patiently for it to take effect. 

Withholding sustenance is not his preferred form of punishment, but his resources are limited right now. It makes his creatures weak, and he wants them to be powerful. On the other hand, one thing such punishment does do is remind his people just how much they need him.

In a few short minutes Type 2 has fully recovered. VonReichter crosses his arms on his chest and looks at her sternly. "You have been a good assassin up to now. I'm very disappointed in you. That was strike one. Fail me twice more and you're dead. Understand?"

"Yes, Master."

He points toward the exit. "Now go."

Without glancing at him, she rises and walks to the door.

"Oh, and Rue,"

The type whirls around, her eyes getting satisfactorily big at his use of her secret nickname. "Cut your hair," He says conversationally. "It's much too long."

She turns back toward the exit, her back stiffening ever so slightly. "Yes, Master." She leaves.

Something wet splats on Yashimoto's head. He sidesteps to get away from the drip, fervently hoping it is only water. He his attention returns to the faint light up ahead, a patch of less-dark surrounded by the more-dark. The light retreats quickly down the tunnel. Cybersix pulls on his arm to draw him forward. When they first entered the sewer, Cybersix had taken a firm grip on his arm to guide him; apparently she could see unnaturally well in the dark.

He can't say how long they've been following the glow of Sylvester's flashlight through the tomb-like tunnels under the city. They've had to stay so far behind him to avoid being heard that his light is only a glow in the distance, and sometimes as he turns a corner they are left in complete blackness. It is surreal ; Yashimoto feels as if he's suddenly been dropped into a thriller movie. 

At what appears to be a dead end of their current tunnel, Sylvester's light stops moving. Yashimoto and Cybersix both halt in sync. Seconds later the light starts moving again - _up_. The sound of Sylvester's feet striking a ladder echoes in the silence as his distorted shadow makes its way up the far wall. Yashimoto suppresses a sigh of relief.

Minutes later Cybersix helps him a out of the sewer. He takes a slow deep breath and looks around. They're standing on the very edge of town, on a narrow lane where all the buildings look abandoned. Sylvester is nowhere to be seen.

Cybersix points to a place in the scrub that starts where the pavement ends. Squinting in the faint moonlight, Yashimoto can just barely see the evidence that someone has recently passed this way. So Sylvester is going to out of the city; easier to track him, but harder to stay quiet.

They trail through the bush for another while yet, dodging stealthily from tree to tree to avoid being seen. Finally Sylvester stops in the middle of a small clearing. He turns a little...

Both of them instantly drop behind a dense bush. That was too close. They wait in tense silence to see if they've been found out, not even daring to even to peek at what Sylvester is doing. After several minutes Cybersix edges closer to the bush and moves a branch slightly to look through it. His heart beginning to slow, Yashimoto takes out his opera glasses and does the same; Sylvester is too far away for his eyes.

Together they watch as Sylvester crouches down. He places his hands on the ground - is he going to dig for something? Then he sits down and his legs appear to go _into_ the ground. There's a hole there, Yashimoto realizes. Sylvester removes the heavy duffel bag he's been carrying from his shoulder and passes it down the hole, as if handing it to someone. Yashimoto sees him nod; then his lips move as he speaks. He disappears down the hole. Some kind of door slides over the place where he entered.

"Well, what do you think?" Yashimoto whispers, unable to keep silent any longer. "I'd say that whatever he's doing, it's without Jose's knowledge. And what do you think's down there?" He peers through the bush again at the place where the trap door appeared. "Cybersix?" When she doesn't answer, he turns to look at her. Her face has gone chalk white and her body is stock still. "Cybersix? Are you okay?"

"I heard what he said." She replies at length, her voice a hoarse whisper.

"What? What did he say?"

"'Yes, Master.' VonReichter's down there."

Lucas hangs up the phone and sighs. He's been trying to reach Cybersix all day and still no luck. He walks over to the window and looks out at the night. The sun has only just set, its last light a faint red smudge on the horizon. Without realizing he's doing it , he scans the rooftops of the nearby buildings, looking for her.

He shakes his head to stop himself, then sighs again. He knows he did something wrong by telling Kevin about her, but she hadn't even given him a chance to explain why he did it. Or to tell her that Kevin had agreed to help her. 

He turns and looks around the room, his eyes falling on a host of familiar things. Well, he isn't getting anywhere trying to call her. He gathers his courage and his coat and leaves for her apartment.

****

Half an hour later he walks back in his own front door, now twice as despondent as before. Cybersix either wasn't home or wouldn't answer his knocks. Lucas finds himself hoping it's the former. He goes to his desk and sits down, resting his head on his hand. He hasn't been tied in knots like this over a woman since.. well, since never. In an attempt to get his mind off it - her - he takes out some tests he has to mark and picks up his pen.

"Ow!" Something pricks into the small of his back. He turns around to see a tiny dart sticking out of him. He pulls the dart out and examines it.

A sense of danger washes over him as survival instinct kicks in. Someone is here, and he has to get out _fast_. He gets to his feet and heads for the door.

A figure appears in front of him so quickly it seems to have materialized out of thin air. Sylvester is standing between him and the door.

Knowing there's no time to waste, Lucas moves in with a powerful punch. 

Pain flares in his jaw and his head snaps back. Dazed, he looks at his opponent. Sylvester's punch was so fast he hadn't even seen the thought of it coming.

A wave of vertigo sweeps over Lucas. An unseen force at drags his arms back down to his sides. His feet disappear from under him and he abruptly sits down on the floor.

"Lucas," He looks up at Sylvester as if he's never seen him before. His eyes are glazed over.

"Listen to me, Lucas. You're going to do exactly what I tell you. Understand?"

He nods trustingly, like a small child.

"We're going to leave here. You're going to follow me, willingly, as if you're going out with a friend. If anyone asks who I am, you're going to tell them I'm your cousin, in town for a visit. Got it?"

"Okay." Deep in the back of his mind a voice is insisting that something's wrong here, but he can't quite figure out what that something might be.

"Get up."

He  shakily gets up.

"Get your coat." Sylvester conceals the dart gun in his jacket. "And your wallet." He adds as an afterthought.

Lucas does as he's told. 


	16. Nightmares & Realities

New Page 1

After the End - Chapter 16

She is standing in the dark. The center of a room. She knows this place. She is only little. She feels his presence move behind her, getting closer, then leaning in. "_It's very simple, Cybersix._" The voice in her ear, hissing like a snake. "_Obey me, and you get rewarded. Defy me, and you get hurt."_

Cybersix jerks awake, clawing her way up out of the nightmare. She eyes open to her darkened room; so ordinary, so familiar. She tries to quiet her pounding heart, ashamed of what the dream has done to her.

She swings her legs over the edge of the bed and puts her head in her hands. Last night she discovered he - her creator, her devil, and yes, her master - is still alive.

As she told Yashimoto last night, it all made sense now: Why Sylvester and the others seemed to so readily accept Jose's rule, why that girl had had her eggs taken from her, why someone had saved her from those fixed ideas... Cybersix sighs once again; she knows all this, but she still has struggle to accept this new reality.

_No. _ She doesn't like where her thoughts are leading. She hasn't come this far be undone by this. She looks up at the sun streaming in through the window. It's Saturday in early summer. She rises from the bed.  She will go spend the day with Data 7 and Julian. Reality can wait until night falls.

I'm having one hell of a nightmare. Lucas thinks as he looks around him. It's all so vivid - but he knows it's just a product of obsessing about Cybersix. But people aren't supposed to be able to realize that kind of thing in dreams, are they?

He's inside a glass tank - well, a tank that appears to be glass but isn't. Just like the ones Cybersix told him about. Sylvester is standing not too far away, peering at him curiously. And that man over on the other side of the room - Lucas has never seen VonReichter, but this guy certainly looks like the quintessential mad scientist. This is Cybersix's nightmare he's having.

Sylvester shakes his head confusingly at Lucas. The VonReichter man walks over and also looks in the tank at him. "What are you thinking, Sylvester?" He asks.

"Just baffled by Cybersix's taste in men, Master." Lucas can hear them easily.

VonReichter snorts. "Ugly, yes. But you'd better get used to him. I think I may have a use for him beyond luring Cybersix. Did you have any trouble capturing him?"

"None at all, Master. I had to punch him once, in the jaw, but I didn't break it. That drug of yours worked beautifully."

Their words wake Lucas up like a slap across the face. He looks around him again. The room contains a lot of scientific equipment and machines; some he recognizes, some he doesn't. Can this be real? Has he really been captured? But VonReichter is dead, isn't he? He turns to look behind him, then stops as pain throbs through his head. _ That feels real enough. _Panic starts to rise inside him. But he can't remember anything about how he got here. He puts his hands against the glass and looks back at the scientist, blurting out, "Who are you?"

The man grimaces a smiles at him. "Dr. VonReichter. Whom did you think I was?"

Lucas' head throbs again as he steps back, bumping into the other side of his prison. His heart begins to beat faster as he realizes this _is_ real.

VonReichter's expression turns to one of anticipation mixed with greed. "Well, there's no reason to delay any longer." He turns to Sylvester. "Go fetch Cybersix."

Sylvester bows slightly, then takes off with apparent eagerness.

Cybersix jumps back onto the ledge of her building and reaches for her window. The night has been a total failure; she hasn't found Sylvester. She'd wanted to squeeze some answers about VonReichter out of him... literally if need be.

She opens the window and steps inside. The hairs on the back of her neck stand up.

"Greetings, cousin."

Sylvester is sitting on her bed, leaning back against the wall, his arms behind his head and his legs crossed at the ankle.

"Nice place you got here. I didn't think teachers were this badly off, though."

Only Cybersix's childhood training makes her able to get over her shock of being found out so quickly. "What you want, Sylvester?" She asks levelly.

He grins at her, inevitably. "I come bearing two messages." He pauses for effect. "First, that your beloved maker is alive and well."

She grins back, ruefully. "I knew that already."

"You did?" Sylvester seems genuinely surprised. "Well, here's something I bet you didn't know. " He reaches into his jacket pocket. Cybersix tenses. "Relax. It's just a gift I have for you." He tosses an object to her.

It's a small plastic bag. Full of blond hair. Cybersix's heart skip a beat. She opens the bag and sniffs the contents. Her nose is keen enough to recognize Lucas' scent.

"That's right, Cybersix." Sylvester says to her, obviously enjoying himself. "We've got your beau Lucas."

Suddenly regrets about the past few days come tumbling down on her.

"I was all for bringing you an ear, but Master says he might have a use for the man's body."

Cybersix doesn't really hear what Sylvester's saying. She sighs, resolutely this time. "Take me to him."

He nods respectively, like some kind of English servant. "Why of course." He gets up and Cybersix wordlessly follows him out the window.

They begin traveling over the rooftops, Cybersix trailing Sylvester easily; he's not exactly a good jumper. In fact, they only get a few buildings over before she sees him hesitate on a ledge and takeoff awkwardly into the air. He misses his target, plummeting to the street below.

Cybersix jumps down to where Sylvester has fallen. He lies awkwardly on the ground, the wind definitely knocked out of him. But judging by and the indignant expression on his face, only his pride is injured.

She shakes her head at him. "My, are you out of practice."

He slowly gets to his feet. "Yeah, well, I have more important things to do with my time than practice circus tricks."

She snorts. "Oh that's right, I'm sorry. You must be awfully busy, what with fawning at both Jose's and VonReichter's feet like a dog."

An expression flits over Sylvester's face, gone too fast to be identified. He rolls his eyes theatrically. "Yeah, tell me about it. I'm run off my feet. Not for much longer, though." He grins evilly, then starts walking down the street.

Cybersix catches up with him. "What do you mean by that?"

He's still grinning. "Master has plans to kill Jose."

"Ah, I see." She says acidly. "Just like he's done to everyone else who's disobeyed him."

"Yes." Sylvester replies matter-of-factly.

Frustration wells up in Cybersix. "And that doesn't bother you in the least? You think you're immune to that kind of thing?"

"Oh, but I would never disobey Master." He answers emphatically. "Not that it matters anyway. If He ever says I should die, then I should."

She opens her mouth to say something, then stops and shakes her head. "I just don't understand you, Sylvester. You could be free..."

He stops walking and turns to her. He rolls his eyes again, sighing exasperatedly. "Stop trying to convert me, Cybersix, because it's not going to work. VonReichter made me; I'm _ his_ creature. He has the right to command me."

Cybersix scowls, becoming angry. "He's not God, Sylvester. He-"

"Yes he is! He's my God... our God. You're the one who's a sinner for disobeying him."

"Oh, come on. He's got you brainwashed, Sylvester." A note of sadness enters her voice. "You used to know the difference between right and wrong, when you were very young. It's only because you've never known joy of being free, of being your own person..."

He shakes his head. "That's where you're wrong, Cybersix. Freedom would be no joy to me."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You just don't get it, so you?" He looks as if he's trying to explain something to a small child. "VonReichter _ designed_ me to be his servant. It's what I _am_... what I was meant for. And every animal on this Earth is happiest when doing what they were born to do. It's just like you with your jumping ." He pauses, looking her in the eye. "We are exactly what VonReichter made us."

He turns and begins walking again. Cybersix follows, thinking. _We are exactly what VonReichter_ _made us_... if that's true, then he must have made a serious mistake when he made the Cybers, because they didn't turn out the way he wanted-

Cybersix almost trips as realization strikes her. A mistake... why hadn't she thought of it before? _She_ is VonReichter's greatest mistake... he called her a failure...

If the Cybers are failures in the eyes of an evil man, what does that make them?

She takes a deep breath, inhaling the sights and sounds of a night that suddenly seems peaceful. Is it possible? Does she deserve it? Should she feel a... a sense of pride. Yes. Proud to be a Cyber.

"We're almost there." Sylvester's voice breaks into Cybersix's dream. Suddenly reality crashes back to her - the reality of Lucas in terrible danger. They're almost at  VonReichter's hideout. 

"I hope you're ready to meet your maker." 

She needs a plan. Or at least an advantage. Making a snap decision, she attacks Sylvester.

"Whoa, wait a second!" He protests when she grabs him.

She stops despite herself.

"There's no need to be rough. I only request that you do the left side this time. " He turns his head to the side, exposing his neck.

"You're going to let me bite you?" She asks confusedly.

He shrugs. "Master wants you alive. And healthy."

Cybersix doesn't know what to think about that. "Uh, actually, I don't need sustenance right now."

"Oh. Well, all right then-"

She grabs him again, getting him in a headlock and wrestling him down to the ground. "Open the door."

"You knew about this place?" He asks surprisingly.

"Yup." He doesn't need to know she only just found out about it last night.

Sylvester puts his hands on the sensor and the trap door opens. Cybersix punches him hard in the side of head and knocks him out. She looks down into the hole and sees a ladder. Draping Sylvester around her neck, she starts down.

The trap door shuts itself once she's inside. No surprise there.

The ladder ends in an area pitch black and completely silent. She waits.

A faint overhead light comes on. A figure appears out of the darkness. "Well, Cyber. We meet again." Type 2 says menacingly.

Cybersix drops Sylvester unceremoniously to the ground and prepares to defend herself. Suddenly a host of other figures emerge from the shadows. Types, five of them. "What's the matter?" She asks Type 2. "The one-to-one odds last time weren't fair enough for you?"

Type 2 only snarls. She and all the others start advancing.

Master wants you alive. And healthy. Well, if that's the case, she's not going to let him have her easily. VonReichter wants her body for some reason; she won't give it to him in good condition. With a wordless cry she attacks the nearest type.

For a few minutes she's able to keep her attackers at bay, striking out in all directions, fighting like an animal cornered but refusing to go down. But courage and determination can only bring her so far. There is only some much of being attacked from all sides that anyone can take.

Minutes later, she reels backward from a male type's punch to her jaw. Blood from a head wound rolls down into her left eye. Weakened, hurting from blows all over her body, she fights to stay steady on her feet. She grimaces against her many pains, preparing for another parry. 

Then one of the types positioned behind her lands a heavy blow between her shoulder blades. Cybersix falls to the ground, landing sprawled on her stomach.

For a moment everyone is silent. Type 1 walks over and nudges Cybersix with his foot, rolling her over onto her back. "Stubborn bitch," He comments.


	17. Preparations

New Page 1

After the End - Chapter 17

Yashimoto comes downstairs from putting Ikiko to bed and walks into his study. He turns on the light and sits down at his desk. Opening a drawer, he withdraws some sketches he'd been working on earlier. Hmm... he just doesn't feel like drawing right now. Something's distracting him. He looks around the room and his eyes fall on the chessboard sitting on the table. It reminds him of the conversation he had with Cybersix after they found VonReichter's hideout:

_"What are you going to do now?" Yashimoto asked her after they'd returned to his place._

_Cybersix paced agitatedly back and forth in his office. "Go after him of course. All I have to do is follow Sylvester there again and jump him after he opens the secret door. Yeah, I'll try tomorrow night-"_

_"Whoa, hang on a minute. " He stepped in front of her and raised his hands to stop her furious pacing. "You can't just go riding off in all directions here. You don't know what he's got down that hole - it could be a huge underground complex. It would be foolish to go by yourself."_

_She shook her head. "If you're suggesting coming with me, the answer is no. VonReichter's just too dangerous."_

_"Yes. Too dangerous for you too." Yashimoto ventures._ _ Sparks ignite in Cybersix's eyes. _ _"Look, all I'm saying" He went on hurriedly. "is that it would be a crime for you to have come this far only to be killed because you went into this unprepared."_

_"So what do you suggest I do?" She asked seriously. "I can't find out what's down there without actually going there."_

_He thought for a minute. "Wouldn't it be easier to get at VonReichter through Jose?"_

Yashimoto regrets that remark now. He worries it may have given her ideas of charging off to Jose's mansion before she's thought anything through. On an impulse, he decides to try calling her. He get his address book and looks up her number.

A few minutes later he hangs up the phone. No answer. Well, he supposes that's not remarkable; it is full dark outside. She's probably out... hunting.

That is something he learned about her last night that she never told him before:

_"Yes, you may be right." She said to him after he mentioned using Jose to get to VonReichter. "Besides, what ever I do I... have to have a long talk with Lucas first."_

_"Why?" Yashimoto asked, although he got the feeling it wasn't really any of his business._

_She looked at him straight-faced. "Because I'll die , of course."_

_"What? There's no need to be so pessimistic. When I said you shouldn't go after VonReichter _now_, I didn't mean that you were incapable of it-"_

_She stopped him by shaking her head. "No, you know what I mean. The sustenance."_

_"Sustenance?" He asked confusingly._

_Realization dawned on her face. "Oh, that's right. I never told you."_

_And then she did tell him. About what sustenance is, how much she needs it - and how she gets it._

_"But that means that if you stop both VonReichter and Jose, you'll surely die!" He protested after she explained it to him._

_"Yes, I know." She replied, straight-faced again. "I've already thought about that."_

_"So you're willing to die to put an end to their crimes. To stop them from hurting any more people." It was a comment, not a question._

_"Yes. If I didn't try to stop them I'd be just as bad as they are."_

Then and now, Yashimoto admires her courage. Very few humans, he knew, possessed that kind of moral clarity. And the will to live by it... or die by it, if necessary.

After that she'd walked over to his back window:

_"Thanks for all your help, Yashimoto. But it's late; I have to get going now."_

_"Cybersix."_

_She turned back around to face him._

_"I understand it if you think you need to do this alone. But just promise me you won't do anything without thinking it through first."_

_"I promise." She smiled at him, then without another pause jumped out the window._

It seems, Yashimoto thinks in the quiet of his study, that these cyber creatures are stronger than humans in more ways than one.

"You are idiots! Complete utter imbeciles!" The five types cower in front of VonReichter, every one of them staring down at the plain concrete floor. The scientist paces agitatedly the back-and-forth like a caged jaguar. "Now I'll have to treat her injuries before I can use her." He shakes his head and looks down at Cybersix's unconscious form on his operating table.

Having just come to after being knocked out, Sylvester stumbles into the room behind the types. Unnoticed , he leans up against the wall, a bit woozy from Cybersix's punch.

Type 1 clears his throat tentatively. "But Master, she just refused to back down. You know how tough she is-"

"It was five against one! You could have easily wrestled her to the ground without doing so much damage. Thanks to your incompetence, my plans will be delayed!"

"Um, but Master, surely what ever you have planned, _we_ could do it for you? Instead of her?"

"I want Cybersix!" VonReichter replies irrationally, looking so much like Jose having a tantrum. He glares at the five of his creatures standing before him. For some reason, the first 10 or so of a new series are always the most troublesome. He points at the oldest. "You, Type 1, are being relieved of your command. A 12 year-old techno would've shown better judgment. And you," He points to Type 2 "This is your second strike. One more and that's it."

Rue becomes invisibly upset. "But Master! This wasn't an assassination attempt-"

"Silence! I won't have any more of you speaking out. Now get out of my sight, all of you. I will deal with _ you_ once Jose's out of the way."

The types quietly file out of the lab. Still standing by the doorway, Sylvester tries to keep the grin off his face.

VonReichter notices him there for the first time. "What happened to you?"

"She knocked me out, Master."

He merely grunts in reply and walks over to his bench, opening a drawer and rifling through it.

Sylvester decides to try his luck. "You're not angry with me, are you Master?" He asks meekly.

"What? Oh no, of course not. It wasn't your fault."

The slave smiles in satisfaction.

VonReichter begins inserting an IV shunt into Cybersix's hand. "This is only a minor setback." He mutters to himself as he works. "She'll recover soon enough. Then she'll be _all_ mine."

A thump is heard from the other side of the room. Both men turn to see Lucas wringing his hand in pain after obviously trying to punch the side of the tank. He glares at them angrily from his fishbowl prison.

"Techno!"

A woman walks in from the back room. "Yes Master?"

VonReichter doesn't look up from what he's doing. "Drug him again, will you?"

"Of course Master." She walks over toward Lucas.

"I told you he'd never buy it. " Type 1 says angrily once they're a safe distance from the lab. "Now thanks to you we're all in trouble. And he might kill Type 2!"

"Hey, you're supposed to be the leader here! Why did you listen to me if you thought it was a bad idea? " Type 3 sounds indignant.

Type1 ignores him. He turns to Type 2 and grasps her by the arms. "Don't worry, Rue. I won't let him get you."

She sighs sadly, looking up at him. "You know you can't protect me from him, Shade".

"I will! Whatever it takes."

Type 4, ever the practical one, just shakes her head. "Look, it's over now. We took a chance and it backfired. We all need to be on our best behavior for a while. All we can do is wait for another opportunity."

"Fucking Cyber." Type 5 mutters.

Yashimoto is beginning to get concerned. It has now been three days since he last heard from Cybersix. He's tried to contact her several times - once last night, and three times today. She hasn't been home all day, even though it's Sunday. He sighs. Perhaps he's letting his imagination get the better of him, but he just has a feeling that something's happened. His feelings aren't usually wrong - several clients have commented on his good sense of intuition.

If only he knew where Data 7 's lair is. He could at least ask the panther if he'd met with Cybersix over the last couple of days.

That thought sends his mind off on a tangent: What must it be like, having a human intelligence in an animal's body? No voice, no hands...

_Ah, that's it._ Now he remembers that Data 7 watches after Julian. So Ikiko will know where Julian is, and Julian will know where Data 7 is. And hopefully between the three of them they can find Cybersix.

Sylvester is not a happy camper. He doesn't even make an attempt to hide his dismay from a passing type as he walks down the upstairs hall of the mansion, soaking wet to his waist. Tonight Jose insisted that Sylvester be the one to bathe him. That was usually the job of a lowly fixed idea - and why, he asks himself desperately, could the little brat not bathe himself? Even real eight year-olds...

He halts that line of thought, knowing it will get him nowhere. For the 10th time he wishes that he could just take one of the knives from the kitchen and quietly slip it between Jose's ribs while he slept. Or better yet, drown him right there in the bathtub, right now. But he can't do either of those things; the fixed ideas would be down on him in a second. And his master needs him.

Be patient, he reminds himself. Despite what the stupid types did to Cybersix, it couldn't be much longer.

Sylvester walks into Jose's room and retrieves his bottle of bubble bath. Jose had soaked him for "forgetting" it, even though he'd never said before that he wanted a bubble bath.

Suddenly the implant in his ear chimes softly. A call from Master. Sylvester stops in the hallway. _ Ah, screw Jose, he can damn well wait. _ He sprints up to his room where he can answer the call.

"Yes Master?"

"It is time, Sylvester." VonReichter's voice is music to Sylvester's ears. A grin starts on his face and spreads into a wicked grimace.

"Were you able to secure a car?"

"Yes Master. I'm ready."

"Excellent. Come as soon as you can. Don't tell anyone - I want it to be a surprise."


	18. VonReichter's Comeback

New Page 1

After the End - Chapter 18

Lucas struggles to wake through a muddled haze. As the blurriness clears around him he discovers he's back in the tank again. He seems to remember having been out of it for a while, but now he can't be sure. His head hurts. He looks sullenly around the room. Then his gaze falls on Cybersix and his vision clears rapidly.

She's standing in the corner of the lab. Her injuries appear to be completely healed; Lucas breathes a sigh of relief. But then he looks closer and notices the utterly blank expression on her face. He racks his brains, trying to remember what's happened. He _ thinks_ he remembers VonReichter doing some kind of surgery on her... something to do with the back of her neck... or was that just a dream, a hallucination brought on by all the drugs he's been given?

Lucas clenches his fists and his teeth in frustration, even though it makes his head throb. Here is Cybersix in trouble, and he's helpless to help her.

"Master. " A deep voice rumbles from the door to the lab. A fixed idea enters... carrying a human body like a big log. Lucas stands up and pushes against the glass, recognizing who it is.

"Found him snooping. " The fixed idea explains simply.

"Well, well," VonReichter critically examines the man in the fixed idea's grasp. "Whom do we have here?"

"A friend of Cybersix. " Yashimoto grits out. The fixed idea is holding him awfully tightly.

"Is that so?" VonReichter asks, a note of disgust entering his voice. "My, she does get around, does she?"

Craning his neck, Yashimoto notices Cybersix standing in the corner. "Cybersix! Help me!"

She remains motionless as stone, her eyes and her face dead.

"Ah," VonReichter says satisfactorily. "Thanks for your help. That was a very valuable test." He turns to the fixed idea and asks very clearly: "Have you seen Data 7 around here?"

The fixed idea shakes his head.

"Then just hold onto that man for now. Sylvester should be here soon." The exterior alarm goes off and the monitor flicks on to show Sylvester approaching the lab. "Well. Speak of the devil and he appears!" VonReichter laughs, apparently finding this very funny.

A moment later Sylvester walks in the room. "Good evening, Sly. Look!" VonReichter motions theatrically toward Cybersix. "My implant was a complete success."

"Excellent, Master." Sylvester replies emphatically. There's a particular and rare mood his master has to be in order to call him "Sly." It's going to be an entertaining night, he thinks.

"Did you bring the disguise I asked for?"

Sylvester wordlessly hands VonReichter the robe.

"Excellent. Excellent." He walks over and puts the robe on Cybersix's unresisting body. It is black, long and loose; when he pulls up the hood it makes her look like the Grim Reaper.

"Now all she needs is a scythe." Sylvester observes.

"_She _doesn't need a scythe." VonReichter answers. "All right, let's move out. Techno 20, you're holding down the fort. Keep that fixed idea guarding the prisoners. The types outside have their orders to watch for Data 7. I have no doubt he'll show up, but hopefully I'll be back before he does."

"Yes Master." The techno says uncertainly. She's more than a little apprehensive about having to deal with an irate panther, even with the help of several types.

"Let's go. Cybersix, follow me." VonReichter turns and leaves the lab. Her face still blank, Cybersix obediently follows.

*****

A short time later VonReichter, Sylvester, and Cybersix arrive at the gate of Jose's mansion. The eyes of the fixed idea standing on guard widen as they approach.

"Silence." VonReichter says.

The fixed idea obediently makes no sound and opens the gate for them. VonReichter strolls up the walk as if visiting his next-door neighbor for a get-together on the patio. When all three of them arrive at the front door he stops and arches and eyebrow suggestively at Sylvester. Raising his arm with a theatrical flourish, he makes a show of slowly and deliberately poking the doorbell. Then he casually clasps his hands behind his back and waits.

Soon a young techno opens the door. His eyes also widen when he sees who's there. "Master. You've come." He sounds awed.

"Indeed I have. " VonReichter replies haughtily. "Now go and get him, and bring him here. Spread the word throughout the house; tell everyone to come to the foyer. I want everyone to be present for this."

"Yes Master. Right away." The techno bows and scurries off.

VonReichter struts into the mansion, interestedly looking around at the decor. Soon his creatures begin to gather around the room, watching from the top of the stairs or standing beside the doorways. All of them are silent and still. They haven't seen their creator since his apparent death. One can feel the sense of breathless anticipation in the air - which of course pleases VonReichter greatly. 

"I want to know who's so important I had to stop my game." Jose's voice is heard approaching from the hall.

"Just come and see, sir. " The techno answers pleadingly.

"Grrr."

The techno enters the room and moves aside. Jose follows him in, fuming, angry at having been interrupted and ready to let the cause of said interruption have it. Then he stops in his tracks. His expression turns stunned as his face bleaches to ash white.

"Hello, _ son._ " VonReichter emphasizes the word darkly. "How's business?" He makes a show of looking around again. "I _ do_ love what you've done with the place. You have my style, boy. " He walks over to an antique couch and sits down, raising one leg and placing the ankle on his opposite knee. He spreads his arms on the back of the couch and sighs. "What? No words of joyous greeting for your estranged father's return?"

Jose stands rooted to the spot, his eyes bugged out and his jaw hanging. It takes a minute for him to collect himself enough to say: "F-F-Father."

"Very Good. " VonReichter observes dryly. He looks around a everyone watching. A dozen technos, ten fixed ideas and two types look on anxiously. "Well, it looks like the entire household's here. Let's get started then, shall we?"

"H- how?" Jose stammers.

"Oh, come on now. You didn't honestly think a sub-nuclear explosion could get rid of me, did you?"

Miraculously, Jose manages to get over his shock and think on his feet. He snaps to attention and salutes, then speaks in German: "Glad to see your well, Father. What are your orders, Sir?"

VonReichter snorts derisively. "Don't insult my intelligence." He says, switching back to Spanish so everyone can understand. Then he turns in his seat and beckons at Cybersix. She approaches to stand beside him, still shrouded in the disguising robe. "I've brought along some one you'll be _anxious_ to see, Jose. Remove your hood, dear."

"Cybersix!" Jose exclaims when her face is revealed.

"Right again. That's two for two."

Jose looks as if he's about to run.

"Now now, there's no need to be concerned. " VonReichter assures him. "You see, she's with _ me_ now." He puts an arm possessively around Cybersix's waist.

After having only just getting himself together, Jose's jaw drops and his eyes bug out once again.

VonReichter is clearly enjoying himself. "Now what you have to say for yourself boy, trying to knock off your poor old man like that?"

Jose stammers for a moment. Then, slowly, anger bubbles up in him. His fists clench and his teeth start to grind. Finally the steam rises to the top and he blurts out: "Fixed ideas! Get this imposter!"

None of the commanded creatures move a muscle. They know who their true master is.

"That," VonReichter says very quietly. "Was your second fatal mistake. No more delays! Cybersix! Kill him!"

Cybersix proceeds mechanically toward Jose. He turns and tries to run. The types standing near the door move in to block his escape. "Cybersix! Listen to me!" Jose begs. "If you help me we can take him!" 

She ignores him. VonReichter sighs and shakes his head ruefully. Sylvester quickly moves to the other side of the room to get a better vantage point.

Her expression still blank, Cybersix puts her hands around Jose's neck. He struggles futilely. She begins to squeeze. It doesn't take long for his body to go limp. She drops the body to the floor and looks to VonReichter for further instructions.

VonReichter gets up from the couch. He is no longer smiling, and in that one moment, the observant could have noticed a flash of regret on his face. "Let this be a lesson to all of you." He walks around, looking at all the spectators. "I don't tolerate disobedience and I certainly don't tolerate treason. Now then," He claps his hands together, smiling again. "Changes are about to be made. You and you." He points at a techno and a type. "You are going to stay here along with three fixed ideas. I will be in contact with you. The rest of you, start packing: Gather up all your clothes and anything of value you can carry. _ We're_ going home. Techno 55 will be here shortly to fly us all to the compound." He starts toward to the door. "I will be back in about an hour, and I expect all of you to be ready. Cybersix! Sylvester!"

The two whom VonReichter has called follow him from the mansion.

*****

A while later Sylvester stops the car at the end of the dead-end street. The three of them get out and begin the walk back to the underground hideout. One of the types posted as a lookout steps out of the brush when he sees them approach. He salutes VonReichter.

"Any sign of him yet?"

"No Master. We've been watching carefully, but nothing. Maybe he doesn't know we have her?"

"Don't be a fool. " VonReichter continues past him. "Now get back to your post. "

They walk on in silence for several minutes. Cybersix's disguising robe gets caught on a briar and rips; she ignores it.

"Oh, we can remove that now. It's no longer necessary." VonReichter takes the robe off her and puts it in her hands to make her carry it. They go on.

The wind blows from behind them.  Sylvester grabs both his master and Cybersix by the arm to stop them. "He's here. Hidden behind us somewhere. He's waiting for the chance to strike."


	19. Musings of a Mad Scientist

New Page 2

After the End - Chapter 19

VonReichter walks back into his laboratory and sits down. Now that all the problems requiring his immediate attention have been dealt with, he needs time to ponder more complex issues.

He has just finished the surgery on Data 7, installing the same implant as he used on Cybersix. He's brave enough to a admit that he'd been lucky, successfully capturing the panther after he'd attacked them in the open field like that. It had been a very near thing. 

No sooner had Sylvester informed him that Data 7 was close by did he come charging out from the surrounding brush, roaring just like the giant panthers of legend. Sylvester had stood his ground, but VonReichter knew he was mortally afraid of Data 7, and with good reason. VonReichter had frantically commanded Cybersix to defend him - and she had. She had kicked Data 7 right in the nose as he lunged, and it was only because of the shock that gave him, of having his precious sister attack him, that the types could get to him in time. One of them shot him with a tranquilizer dart, and then it had taken three of them to keep him at bay until he went down.

Well, no matter now. He has both of them... Oh, how he's dreamed of this day. He glances over at Cybersix, standing statute-still in the corner. Maybe he'll make her stand in the middle of the compound later, on display like a trophy. 

He wonders if Techno 20 fed her already... And therein lay the problem with his electronic implant - Cybersix won't do anything for herself now, not even eat. It made her even higher maintenance than the fixed ideas, and limited in her use to him. But he only intended the implant as a temporary measure anyway, so he could use her against Jose. Sure, several of his other creatures could have killed his treacherous son, but having Cybersix do it was just more fun. And he knows that soon his genius mind will come up with a better way of controlling her. He could, he thinks, even put her body on ice until he finds the perfect solution. 

He had learned, very early in his career, that no method of mind control was entirely reliable. Both electronic and biological implants could be circumvented. Brainwashing required a great deal of maintenance, and there were some people it just wouldn't work on.  Cybersix, he thinks ruefully, is likely one of those.

These were the reasons he'd begun creating his own life in the first place - to achieve absolute mind control, one had to get right down to the genetic level. That theory had proven to be correct, in terms of achieving both obedience and super-human strength.

He hears the lab door hiss open and closed softly behind him. Familiar footsteps approach. Ah, and here is one of his greatest successes, the living proof of his theory of mind control. He turns slightly to see Sylvester, who stops and looks back at him silently, expectantly.

"Any news?"

"Everyone is behaving themselves, Master. All of the technos in Merridiana have been told to meet at the mansion this Saturday night as you requested."

"Good." VonReichter stretches languorously in his chair. "Ah, but it's good to be home again, isn't it?"

"Yes Master." Sylvester answers with some feeling. Then he ducks his head and peers questioningly at VonReichter through hooded eyes, somehow managing to look submissive even though he's standing and his master sitting. 

VonReichter nods his head ever so slightly. Sylvester sits down by his feet and places his head contentedly on his master's knee. VonReichter reaches down and begins to stroke his hair. Yes, Sylvester is perhaps his greatest achievement as far as obedience is concerned. And it had all came about in such an unexpected way. In fact, once Sylvester's modified embryo was actually inside the tank, VonReichter had wondered what kind of fumes he'd been inhaling when he dreamt this one up.

But it had worked. Successfully combining the brains of an animal and a human... at the time not even the science-fiction writers had contemplated the idea, and yet there he was actually doing it. Sylvester had been one grand experiment, a prototype for the ultimate slave. And now that he's full grown, VonReichter can safely conclude that the experiment was a success. It is time he had more like Sylvester. Yes, time to start a new series. He has more than enough human DNA to begin... Now where can he get a good dog specimen? Ah, of course, the Merridiana pound. One of the technos can bring a dog or two home.

VonReichter looks down at Sylvester, completely relaxed against his knee. Being curious about the mechanics of obedience, he'd carefully observed the behavior of the German Shepherds used in the war. It was ridiculous, the way they'd do anything and everything to please their masters, even to the point of enduring pain or danger themselves. He supposed it had to do with being dumb animals. It wasn't until decades later that he'd remembered the insane behavior of those dogs and thought how such a thing could help him.

There had to be some gene that predisposed a creature to be submissive, loyal, unquestioningly obedient. The problem was that it would take him years to find it, and he didn't want to wait that long. And so the inspiration for Sylvester had come: Replacing the frontal lobe of the human's brain, the emotional center, with that of a dog's. At first he'd been afraid that the logic a human was capable of would "rationalize out" the stupidity of a dog, that so-called "unconditional love" was only a function of the dog's inferior intelligence. But turned out not to be the case. He'd tested Sylvester a few times by abusing him in various ways, and the boy had always come back - not only forgiving but repentant, as if he'd done something wrong - eager to please again.

The experiment was not only a success, VonReichter thinks to himself, but also an astounding achievement. A creature with the ridiculous loyalty and devotion of a dog but possessing human intelligence and the ability to reason. The perfect slave.

Nineteen years later he knows that Sylvester is the most trustworthy of all his servants. He never has to question the boy's loyalty - his competence, sometimes, but never his motives. And the icing on the cake of the whole thing is that the damn fool actually thinks VonReichter loves him. There's been times with Sylvester he's had difficulty keeping a straight face, it's so humorous. All he has to do is give him the occasional "Good Boy" and a pat on the head, and Sylvester is his, body and soul.

Body and soul... an idea begins to spawn in VonReichter's head. He turns to look at Cybersix, still standing in the corner. The brain of his most willing servant in _ that_ body. Now _ there's_ an exciting prospect. And he even has a younger, healthier human body ready and waiting for him so he can enjoy her better. Ah, he knew that if he was only patient his day would come!

One of the lights on his console blinks and the head of Type 13 appears on his monitor. "What?" VonReichter snaps, angry at having been interrupted at only the beginning of a very pleasant line of thought.

"That human tried to escape, Master. The Japanese one. We caught him trying to free Data 7."

VonReichter stiffens visibly. "What? He got all the way to the laboratory building?"

"Um, yes, but don't worry. It's under control now. What do you want us to do with him?"

Now that is a good question. The man doesn't have anything VonReichter needs or wants, save for a DNA sample he's already gotten. He could always keep him for any future experiments, of course, but that would mean feeding him in the meantime. "Lock him up again for now. And guard him more closely. I will deal with him soon."

The type nods silently and the screen goes blank.

Now, where was he? Oh yes, putting Sylvester's brain in Cybersix's body. An excellent idea indeed. Now the only question is: Does he make the switch now, or clone them both and do it then? Cybersix may be untrustworthy, even with that implant in the head. But on the other hand, he likes Sylvester in his current body too. Hmmm...

He decides to perform some more extreme tests on Cybersix to ascertain just how safe - and useful - she is in her current state. He'll decide what to do from there. And that Japanese man will make the perfect test. Now, does he do all this before or after he transfers to Lucas' body? Before, he thinks. There is always a period of adjustment after transferring to a new body, and it's best if all crucial matters are taken care of beforehand.

The irony of the fact that he will soon be taking over the body of Cybersix's lover amuses him to no end. Too bad her consciousness is not aware to see it. At first he'd been worried that Lucas' thick fingers would not be dexterous enough for his line of work, but tests done on the big man - while he was under the influence of VonReichter's new wonder drug - had proved otherwise. And the body of a blond jock will be the perfect disguise for his brilliant mind. He's anxious to make the switch; it will be a whole new beginning.

The monitor in front of him flashes to life once again. This time a techno's face appears. "We have that human you wanted, Master."

"Excellent. I will be there momentarily." VonReichter removes his hand from Sylvester's head. "Get up." He gets no response. The slave has fallen asleep. "Sylvester!"

"Huh? Oh, I'm so sorry, Master. I must have dozed off."

"How long has it been since you slept?"

"Three days." 

"Go get some rest then." VonReichter tells him. Sleep is cheaper than sustenance.

Sylvester smiles. "Thank you Master." He gets up and starts walking toward the exit, then stops. "I love you, Master."

"You know you're my favorite, Sylvester." VonReichter replies without turning around.  That, at least, is the truth, if only because he rather enjoys being fawned over. He gets up and heads for his examination room. 

The human he finds there is a young male, white, scrawny, with short curly blond hair and thick glasses. He cowers sullenly in the techno's grasp. 

"What's your name?" VonReichter asks conversationally.

"Kevin. What do you want with me?"

Filling the needle, VonReichter makes no reply. He turns around to face the man. "Hold him still."

The techno has no trouble pinning down one of the man's arms. VonReichter makes the injection, then stands back and waits patiently. In only a moment Kevin slumps against the wall, his eyes turning foggy.

"Leave us." VonReichter says to the techno, who complies. "So tell me, Kevin: You had a vial of sustenance a while ago, is that correct?"

Kevin rouses himself slightly. "Oh, that stuff. Yeah, I got it from Lucas. He told me that woman Cybersix needs to live. Hard to believe, a genetically engineered human. He's madly in love with her, you know, and can you blame him? I mean, I haven't met her yet. Lucas says he's trying to convince her to meet me. But I've seen pictures, and she's gorgeous. I'm jealous. I'm a nerd you know, I get many dates.

Ah, good old sodium pentathol. "You did tests on the sustenance?"

"Yes. It's strange stuff. Not entirely a good idea if you ask me-"

"What did you discover about it?"

"Well, it's weird, but as far as I can tell it's like suped-up ad-"

VonReichter clamps his hand down on the man's mouth, just in case that techno is still within earshot. "That's enough, thank you. I don't need to hear any more." He looks Kevin directly in the eyes. "You work for me now."


	20. Escape

New Page 2

After the End - Chapter 20

Kevin carefully puts down the beaker and glances sidelong at VonReichter, wondering what the scientist is doing now. He's been nervous for so long he doesn't have the energy for it anymore. He's been here nearly a week now, and fear is rapidly turning to despair: Even if the entire city of Merridiana is out looking for him - which they certainly aren't - they'll never find him here, out in the middle of the jungle.

A few days ago he tried to find a way to get a message out of the compound - and paid the price when he got caught. And his captor - who is, he supposes, now his employer - is stark raving mad. It hadn't taken long to figure that out. He's also a genius; suddenly everything Lucas told Kevin about Cybersix and her past seems totally plausible.

"We are done with this for today. Go and check Lucas' body. " VonReichter breaks the silence abruptly, as he often does.

"Yes sir. " Kevin sullenly walks into the adjacent room and looks down at Lucas lying on the bed, deep in an induced coma. He tries and fails to repress a sigh. He has no idea how to wake Lucas up. He also has no idea what VonReichter has planned for his friend, but he'd be willing to place a large bet it's something terrible.

He methodically checks Lucas' vital signs - which are all normal - and walks back into the main lab.

"We will perform the final test on Cybersix now. " VonReichter is saying to the techno he uses as a gofer in the lab. "Go and get me the Asian man."

"Shall I bring in some types or fixed ideas as well, Master?" The techno asks.

"No need." He shakes his head dismissingly. "I am sure the test will be successful."

The techno doesn't look so sure, but of course she makes no objection.

Kevin glances over to where Cybersix is standing. This is what finally made him give up the idea of escape; if VonReichter has Cybersix back under its thumb, there's no hope for him.

VonReichter walks over and peers at Cybersix closely, his expression intent. He keeps her in the lab all the time, never letting her out of his sight. Kevin has tried to examine the device protruding from the back of her neck, the implant, but he has to be so careful of being seen. He's had visions of just ripping the thing out, which would set Cybersix free and make her turn on VonReichter. However, it's much more likely that removing the implant would kill her.

"Here he is, Master." The techno walks back into the lab, followed by a husky type half-dragging a man Kevin doesn't recognize behind him.

"I sure hope you're getting rid of this guy." The type says. "He's more trouble than he's worth." At that moment the man attempts to break the type's grip on him, and Kevin is impressed when he almost succeeds.*

"See what I mean?" The type growls when he has Yashimotto firmly in hand again.

"Let him go. "

The type looks questioningly at his master, then shrugs and releases his captive. The man's hands are tied behind his back, Kevin sees.

VonReichter walks a few steps closer to Yashimotto and stops. He opens his mouth to speak. Yashimotto's foot flashes out and connects with VonReichter's jaw, slamming his teeth together with a loud click. He staggers backward.

On the edge for so long now, Kevin has to fight valiantly to suppress a semi-hysterical laugh.

VonReichter responds by giving Yashimotto an evil eye that could have chilled Hell itself. "You've just lost the only chance you had at survival." He says darkly.

Yashimotto stares right back him, silent.

VonReichter grunts "Foolish." He motions at Cybersix . "You know that she is under my control now, don't you? Cybersix, kill this man."

Cybersix abruptly becomes animated, like a statue coming to life. Without blinking she strides purposefully toward Yashimotto. Showing real fear for the first time, Yashimotto hastily backs up. "Cybersix! It's me, Yashimotto. I'm your friend, remember?" He speaks rapidly . "You saved me and now I came to save you. I know you don't want to do this." He continues to back across the lab. Cybersix continues to advance on him. " You told me you'd rather die than live in bondage to VonReichter again. But you're serving him now! _ He_ wants you to do this!"

For a split-second, Yashimotto thinks he sees her hesitate. Or is it just his imagination? He has to hope. "I know that proud spirit of yours is still in there, Cybersix. You just have to make it rise to the top. Your will can conquer his." His voice is getting frantic now. "The Cybersix I know doesn't want to kill. I have faith in that. I have faith in you, Cybersix!"

Yashimotto bumps against the far wall. Cybersix stops in front of him. Through his fear he notices the confused expression on her face. She raises her hands.

A bone-chilling scream resounds through the lab. Kevin takes an involuntary step backward. Both the arrogance and the color suddenly drain from VonReichter's face.

Finally the scream dies down. An tense silence settles in. Cybersix is still, standing with her hands gripping her hair. Then with a flash of movement she reaches behind her and rips the implant from the back of her neck. 

Kevin gasps. He expects her to collapse or go into seizure any second, but she does neither. Instead she takes the implant in her hand and stares at it blankly. Slowly sentience returns to her features. She looks up at Yashimotto; he lets out a sigh of relief when he sees she recognizes him. Then she turns around to face VonReichter.

"Code red! In the lab!" He yells. Although he didn't appear to have hit any buttons, Cybersix knows that his call will summon his minions to him. She spins around, grabs Yashimotto by the wrist, and takes off through the nearest exit

"Where are we going?" He asks as they stride down the hall.

"No idea." Cybersix answers.

"Wait. Data 7's here, somewhere."

She stops, letting go of his wrist. "He is? What is VonReichter doing with him?"

"I don't know. Same as you I guess?" 

"Well, we've got another problem."

"What problem?"

"Lucas is here somewhere too. VonReichter captured him and I went to save him."

Yashimotto suppresses a curse. "What do we do now?"

Distant voices sound from around the corner.

"We need to find a way to disappear. In here." She drags Yashimotto into a side room. They search around for an exit*, and both their eyes cometo rest on the air vent in the ceiling. It's just barely big enough. Cybersix looks at Yashimotto.

"We don't have much choice. " Yashimotto knows that if VonReichter catches him again, he is most definitely dead.

Cybersix jumps up and rips the vent from the ceiling. She kneels down and cups her hands. He puts his foot in them and she boosts him up into the vent, then easily jumps up after him.

They begin to crawl along. Soon Yashimotto realizes that their pursuers will know where they've gone anyway because of the broken vent. For a minute he despairs of getting out of here alive. Then he forces that thought from his mind; nothing can be done about it.

A voice floats to them through the darkness; VonReichter's. Yashimotto comes upon another vent in the floor of the tunnel. He peers down to see what looks like Lucas' arm lying on a sheet. *

He turns behind him to Cybersix and tries to mouth the words "I think it's Lucas." *He's afraid to make any noise.

Cybersix seems to get his meaning. She nods her head emphatically.

Cramped by the narrow tunnel, Yashimotto nevertheless manages to get his feet in front of him. He slams them down on the air vent as hard as he can. After a few kicks it finally gives way. Surprisingly, they hear Lucas yell from below. Yashimotto jumps down. Cybersix is so close on his heels she nearly lands on him.

"Lucas!"

He's sitting up in the bed, a dazed expression on his face. "Cybersix! You're Okay!"

"Lucas, what happened?"

Lucas rubs at his head. "I don't know. VonReichter put me in here, put me to sleep. And then I heard this terrible scream and I woke up."

"Idiots! Find her now for I'll have _ all _ your heads!" VonReichter's voice booms from the other side of the room's door.

"He's in there." Yashimotto says.

"What do we do now?" Lucas tries to get up, but falls back on to the bed again, dizzy.

*Suddenly ice seems to flow through Cybersix's veins has an unnatural calm settles over her. "Now I end it." She opens the door and walks heedlessly into the main lab. Both Yashimotto and Lucas are too shocked to stop her in time.

"VonReichter." She says the name like it belongs to some unholy demon.

He turns around to face her. "Cybersix." His voice is remarkably steady.

"You've pushed me too far. " Cybersix advances on him. "You've caused too much evil. Your life and here, even if mine does too. " With a cry she leaps up into a jump kick .

"Master!" She didn't even notice that Sylvester was in the room. Now suddenly, with his unnatural speed, he zips in front of her, defending the body of his master. The full force of Cybersix's kicks strikes him square in the ribs. He gasps. His eyes roll up in his head and he crumples to the floor.

"Sylvester!" VonReichter yells, looking aghast at his fallen lap dog. "Data 7! Come!"

The big panther slinks out from underneath one of the lab desks, flowing like night. Cybersix had no idea he was there. He leaps to VonReichter's side and then turns to her, a menacing growl rising from low in his throat. She notices the control device on the back of his neck. He's under VonReichter's power. She begins to back up.

"Get her!"

Data 7 lunges, teeth bared . Cybersix only just manages to scramble out of his reach. She hastily runs back through the door she came from, slamming it shut behind her. She leans up against it, panting from fright rather than exertion. The door's not built for heavy security; there's no need for that this deep in the lab. It won't hold anyone off for long.

Yashimotto and Lucas look at her, both of them stunned. "Data 7 attacked me." The sight of the panther's - her brother's - huge teeth snapping for her flesh has shocked her.

"We need to hide." Yashimotto whispers, then points back up at the air vent.

"No. Leave her." Cybersix can just barely hear VonReichter's voice from the other room. "She won't get far with my army surrounding the perimeter. Right now I need to save Sylvester."

"Come on, Cybersix. " Lucas says pleadingly. "We need to get out of here."

"We can't. He's got us surrounded." Feeling she's safe for now, she steps away from the door, trying to think of a plan. ***

"Sylvester's down and there's no types or fixed ideas in there. If I can just get the jump on Data 7 I can rip that thing out of his head. VonReichter won't stand a chance against both of us."

"That's too dangerous!" Lucas insists, trying to keep his voice down.

In no mood to be contradicted, Cybersix turns on him. "I won't leave without my brother!" She hisses.

He backs off.

"Just wait. I'll charge in there when they least expect it. " Cybersix goes back to the door and places her ear against it, listening intently.


	21. Pride

New Page 1

After the End - Chapter 21

Author's note: I admit to stealing the term "Grendels," not from Beolwulf but from Simon R. Green, who used it in almost exactly the same context.

*****

"Kevin! Where did that man go?" VonReichter yells from the other side of the door.

Cybersix tries to calm her whirling thoughts. Lucas and Yashimoto stare at her expectantly. She considers her options. If they run, there is a small chance they'll make it past all the soldiers and out of the compound. But then they would have the jungle to deal with, and she doesn't know which direction the nearest village is.

It doesn't matter anyway, she realizes. She knows it's time to deal VonReichter permanently - one way or the other.

"Here's what I'm going to do." She addresses her two friends. "Sylvester's down and there's no types or fixed ideas in there. If I can just get the jump on Data 7 I can rip that thing out of his head. VonReichter won't stand a chance against both of us."

"That's too dangerous!" Lucas insists, trying to keep his voice down.

In no mood to be contradicted, Cybersix turns on him. "I won't leave without my brother!" She hisses.

He backs off.

"Just wait here. I'll charge in there when they least expect it." She goes back to the door and places her ear against it, listening intently. Her keen ears pick up the sound of VonReichter walking across the room, but nothing else. She's going to have to go in blind. She takes a deep breath and kicks open the door.

She quickly takes in the scene. Data 7 is sitting on the other side of the room, head hanging and face completely blank. So VonReichter has to command him before he'll do anything. Wasting no time, she leaps over to him to get at the implant.

"Data 7! Defend yourself!" VonReichter calls just before she reaches him. The panther's eyes focus on her. Cybersix jumps, twisting in the air to land straddling Data 7 's back. With animal-fast reflexes his head whips around. Pain lances through her leg as his teeth sink into her flesh.

"29! It's me!" Cybersix grabs for the implant and tears it out just as her leg feels like it's about to snap in Data 7 's strong jaw.

The intense pressure on her leg disappears as Data 7 lets go of her. She hobbles off his back. He looks at her, then at her bleeding leg. An expression of abject apology overcomes his features. Cybersix smiles at him. She has her brother back.

They hear a scuffling noise from the other side of the room. Both of them spin around to look - but not fast enough. A gunshot rings out. One of Data 7 's hind legs gives out and he falls to the ground. Lucas rushes into the room at the noise, fists raised. Yashimoto appears hot on his heels.

VonReichter is standing near the back of the lab holding a gun. Without pausing he aims it at Cybersix and pulls the trigger. Nothing happens. He pulls the trigger a few more times. The gun is empty. He looks at it incredulously, then drops it. He begins discreetly sideling toward the exit.

Cybersix moves to block his escape, trying to keep from limping. "Oh no, not this time VonReichter. I'm stopping you now." 

Even with an injured leg, he's no match for her and he knows it. "Stop!" He holds up his hands in a commanding gesture.

Despite herself, Cybersix stops.

The confidence returns to VonReichter's face. "You'll regret it if you kill me, Cybersix. I have something you desperately want." 

He waits for a response. Cybersix just raises her eyebrow cynically.

"I can free you of sustenance. And I'll do that for you if you a little something for me. A fair trade. No strings attached."

She frowns at him. "You offered me that once before and I refused."

His brow furrows. "I did not."

Cybersix is puzzled. "Yes you...." Oh, of course. Now she understands. Sylvester wasn't there when she and VonReichter confronted each other after he unleashed the Isle of Doom. So there was no one to tell this version of VonReichter, the clone, what had happened between them that day.

She purposely lets him see her trying to suppress a grin. Attitude is everything with VonReichter. "Do you know..." She begins stepping toward him. "What happened in your lab that day the Isle of Doom exploded?"

"Jose betrayed me."

"Yes. But do you know who else betrayed you?" She deliberately waits for an answer. VonReichter just looks confused. "Every single one of your monsters did. They attacked you."

He scowls. "What? The Grendels could never... They're not capable..."

She cuts him off . "It's true. You released them from their tanks to attack me. But they ignored me. They turned on you."

VonReichter stumbles backward as if he's been struck. "No. You're lying."

Cybersix shakes her head, then looks him right in the eye. "You must know your own creation better than that, _Master_; I am not a liar."

"Then they were failures if they disobeyed me!" Now he's getting angry. "Every last one of them!"

She snorts derisively. "Failures! That's your favorite excuse, isn't it?" An idea comes to her. "Let's see now," She begins counting things off on her fingers. "Failures.... first there were the Cybers, then Data 7, Jose, and finally your Grendels. That's a large number of your creations who turned on you in the end. And one of them was your own clone! You couldn't even control him! Not a good track record for the world's most brilliant scientist, if you ask me."

VonReichter is visibly shaken. "But I... I"

Cybersix takes a breath. She's come this far - there's no turning back now. She rushes VonReichter and pushes him against the far wall. "Give me one good reason why I should let you live."

"I told you! I really can free you! Just let me go!"

Oh, so all of the sudden she doesn't have to do him any favors in exchange for freeing her. She sighs. He gave her the wrong answer just now. Cybersix looks her creator deep in the eyes. She doesn't find what she's looking for there either - some trace of humanity. 

Decision made. _I only hope I don't regret this later. _

"The least of all evils..." She doesn't know she speaks aloud.

VonReichter has an instant to look perplexed at her comment. Then she quickly breaks his neck. The sound of his body hitting the floor is unnaturally loud. Then there is nothing but silence.

_I did it._ She has ended VonReichter's evil. And probably her life with it. 

Probably the lives of hundreds... the lives of her closest kin. She didn't really think of this before, but for some reason it doesn't disturb her now. It's too late.

Data 7, Lucas and Yashimoto are all still, stunned, and the silence stretches on. Gradually, as if hearing something in a dream, Cybersix becomes aware of a rhythmic beeping noise. She looks around the large room and for the first time notices a bed in the corner: Sylvester is lying on it, unconscious, attached to some kind of monitor.

For some reason this reminds her of Data 7. "Brother!" Her cry breaks the silence like glass. She rushes over to him. "Are you okay?"

He half-purrs, half-groans in response. She kneels down to examine him. The bullet has struck him in the left thigh, and there's no exit wound; it's still inside.

Cybersix is surprised when Lucas is suddenly beside her. "We need to stop the bleeding. On both of you." 

His gaze goes to her leg, and hers follow it. She has forgotten about her own injury until now. "I'll be okay."

"No, you won't be." Lucas replies. "Not if we leave that alone. Those are deep puncture wounds."

"Here." Yashimoto appears carrying a bed sheet. "This looks clean."

Lucas takes the sheet and rips it up, then proceeds to quickly bind Cybersix's leg. She watches him work.

"What about Data 7? That bullet is still in his leg. Could you take it out, Lucas?"

He stops what he's doing. "Me? How can I ? I'm not a doctor."

"No, but you're the closest we've got. Please try?"

"There are plenty of surgical instruments here." Yashimoto says as he rifles through a drawer.

"Okay. I'll try." Lucas looks at Data 7. "But this is going to hurt."

Data 7 just blinks at him.

Everyone is silent while Lucas tries to extract the bullet. Cybersix keeps her hand on her brother's head. Time ticks by to the rhythm of the beeping monitor.

After a quarter of an hour or so Lucas finally succeeds. He breathes a sigh of relief as he drops the bullet on the floor. "How are you doing?" He asks Data 7.

The panther nods. All and all he's doing rather well, Cybersix thinks - he hasn't gone into shock or anything.

Lucas begins to cover the wound. "What do we do now?" He asks Cybersix.

She sighs. "I don't know. VonReichter's army is still out there."

"What will they do when they find out he's dead?"

Cybersix looks up at Yashimoto. Does even he realize, she thinks to herself, the depth, the importance of the question he's just asked?

"I'm going to try to sneak you guys out of here. Then I'll come back and deal with VonReichter's creatures myself."

"No way!" Lucas exclaims.

"Are you crazy? You do realize they could turn on you?" Yashimoto questions.

"Of course I do. But there's no reason for all of you to risk yourselves. I opened this Pandora's box; I'll deal with the consequences."

Data 7 's head snaps up suddenly. He looks toward the main exit and begins to growl.

"Someone's coming." Cybersix whispers.

Yashimoto scrambles over to where VonReichter dropped his gun and picks it up.

"That's empty." Lucas tells him.

"_They _ don't know that."

The lab door opens. All four of them stand in front of it, both Cybersix and Data 7 trying to hide their injuries.

A techno bursts in. "Master!.... Ah!" She steps backward reflexively when she sees who's there.

"VonReichter is dead." Cybersix says flatly. She moves out of the way so the techno can see his body lying on the floor.

The techno's face betrays no emotion as she looks on her dead creator. She looks up at Cybersix. "You killed him?"

"Yes."

She nods ever so slightly, then calmly turns back toward the hall. "I'll go to tell the others."

"Wait!" Cybersix calls after her. "What are you going to do?"

The techno shrugs. "I don't know. I guess we'll die eventually." With that, she walks out the door.

That certainly wasn't what Cybersix was expecting. But there isn't time to deal with the techno's odd reaction now. She walks back over to VonReichter's body and stares down at it, wondering what to do with it.

Yashimoto comes to join her. "You know," He says quietly. "I bet VonReichter never would have thought that the same sense of pride he passed on to you would be his undoing."

Cybersix doesn't move. There are many ways that statement can be interpreted, she realizes.


	22. Unexpected Fate

New Page 1

After the End - Chapter 22

Cybersix stares down at VonReichter's body, her thoughts going a mile a minute. The others stand around the lab, still trying to absorb all that's happened, no one sure of what to do next.

"Well, I guess we have to bury him... or something." Cybersix says finally in a somewhat strained voice.

Lucas' boots strike the floor with a loud rhythmic sound as he walks across the room. He stops in front of the unconscious Sylvester. "What happened to him?"

Cybersix looks up. "I kicked him... hard. By accident." She also goes over to look.

"Is he... in a coma or something?"

"Yes, but-" Answers a voice from the doorway.

Everyone spins around instantly. Cybersix raises her fists and Yashimoto points the empty gun at the doorway.

Standing there, the techno - the same one who came in before - looks at them all as if they're crazy. She lifts her hands to show non-aggression. " Relax, it's just me."

Her reassurance doesn't have much of an effect. "What do you want?" Cybersix demands.

"I just came to tell you the word's been passed on, that's all." She walks into the lab, apparently unconcerned about having a gun pointed at her, and stops in front of Sylvester's bed. "And to answer your question, he is sort of in a coma." She starts checking over the equipment attached to him, like a nurse. "It's an artificially induced state that protects his body. Master uses it to help us recover from a life-threatening injury more quickly than would normally be possible, even for our bodies."

Yashimoto and Data 7 wander over to join them.

Cybersix is a little surprised by the techno's business-like manner, but she's also curious. "So... he's going to survive?"

"I think so, yes. He'll wake up when his body's healed enough for him to function normally. Shouldn't be too long now."

"What's your number? " Cybersix asks the techno.

"20."

"What's your job?"

"I work in the lab. I take care of the kin that come in here, and the human experiment subjects, and I also maintain the tanks."

"Maintain the tanks?" Lucas repeats.

"Yes, that's right." Techno 20 answer slowly, as if speaking to someone of inferior intelligence.

"Do you know anything about sustenance?" He asks hopefully.

"No, of course not. Don't be silly."

Sylvester stirs on the bed. "Oh. looks like he's ready to wake up now. " Techno 20 says dispassionately. "Guess I shouldn't be surprised. Sylvester heals quickly - it's his fast metabolism. VonReichter found a way to re-direct all the extra energy he produces at will, so be directed it at his injuries."

Cybersix, Lucas and Yashimoto just stare back at her. "He needs to have the fast metabolism to make him faster, you understand. Causes all kinds of problems though - he can be more flighty than a bird in a cage."

Sylvester's eyes open slowly. "Which," Techno 20 adds quietly. "You're about to see." she backs up a step.

Sylvester blinks awake. He looks first at Yashimoto, then at Lucas, his expression twisting in confusion. "Cybersix!" He bolts upright on the bed. Suddenly his feet are under him, he's ready to spring.

"Relax, Sly!" His head whips around to face that of Techno 20. "It's okay. She's allowed to be here now."

"Where's Master?"

"He's dead, Sylvester. " 

"What!?"

Techno 20 moves aside and points to VonReichter's body. "Cybersix killed him."

For a moment Sylvester just sits there and stares. Then somehow his face gets even paler than it already is. "Master!" He leaps off the bed and dives for the body, dragging the IV pole attached to his arm with him. He falls more than crouches down and places his hands on VonReichter's face. "He's still warm! How long has it been? We must be able to revive him!"

"Forget it, Sylvester." Techno 20's voice is annoyed. "He's dead. Face it."

Sylvester looks up at her, then back down at his master. Grief twists his features. "Nooo!" Like flood gates opening he bursts into tears. He leans down to place his face beside VonReichter's, hugging him. "I knew... I dreamed... I... He..." Whatever he's trying to say is lost as racking sobs overcome him. They're so violent he gasps and hiccups for air in between wails. 

Watching him, Cybersix is struck by an image she saw on TV once of a boy in some war-torn country who had just seen his father killed. A chill crawls up her spine, caused by something much more disturbing than fear.

Techno 20 rolls her eyes at Cybersix.. "See what I mean? Flighty and irrational."

Sylvester's pitiful crying stops for a moment. He lifts his head. He looks down at VonReichter's face, and then he leans over once more and kisses the corpse on the lips.

Behind her, Cybersix hears Techno 20 make a noise of disgust. Lucas and Yashimoto both look away.

"Um, excuse me?"

Everyone turns. Standing in the doorway is another female techno. She looks down at Sylvester, then up at Cybersix. "Wow, it really is true." Her voice is undoubtedly awed. "Um, Cybersix. You'd better come. There's a crowd gathering outside."

"A crowd?" Cybersix asks dumbly.

"Yes. They want to see you."

This time it is fear that travels down Cybersix's spine. There's no way in the world the four of them can stand against an angry group of VonReichter's creatures.

"We've got to run." Yashimoto says quietly.

"Run? Why? I told you everyone wants to see you." The new techno replies.

Cybersix walks up to her. She doesn't flinch. "_See_ me? You mean they really don't want to kill me?"

The techno looks confused. "No... I don't think so. We all just want to know what we should do now."

"And why are you asking me?"

"38!" A voice calls from the corridor. "The fixed ideas are getting restless and I can't find Type 1."

"Then get some people and go look for him. " Techno 38 answers. She turns back to Cybersix. "You really better come. You're the only one who can keep the kin in line now."

Cybersix sighs. Everything's happening to quickly for her. Well, she said she was going to face up to this. "Okay." She reluctantly tells the techno. "Lead the way."

Lucas and Yashimoto make to follow them. "No, not you two." Cybersix says sternly. "Stay here with, um, Techno 20. Where it's safe. I'll be back as soon as I can."

She fallows the techno through the building, looking around her, unnerved at simple fact of walking quietly through VonReichter's halls.

They emerge out into bright sunlight and the buzz of voices. A large crowd of technos and types are gathered at the bottom of the building's steps. Off to one side, a group of fixed ideas pace back and forth aimlessly.

"It's Cybersix!" Whispers of her name ripples throughout the crowd. In little time all eyes are turned toward her and everyone is silent.

Cybersix looks out over the group of VonReichter's creations. There must be almost a hundred of them here. She begins to get nervous. What do they want from her? She has just killed their dictator... and destroyed their only means of survival.  And she certainly hadn't been expecting anything even remotely like this reaction from them.

She looks into the faces of these people. What does she see there? Some fear, some anger, but mostly something entirely different. It takes her a moment to realize what it is: Resignation. Neither emotions over what has just passed nor worries about the future.

"Tell them what you want them to do, Cybersix." Techno 38 prods her.

What she wants them to do? How did she suddenly become their leader? Well, it's certainly better than having them trying to kill her. She decides to seize this opportunity. She takes a deep breath.

"I take it by now you've all heard about what's happened." Her voice is steady and it carries over the crowd. She tries to avoid fidgeting nervously. "Right now our biggest problem is sustenance." She's starting to think clearly again. "Can someone tell me, how much do we have on hand? And where is it?"

Movement in the crowd catches her eye. A male type pushes his way to the front. "We've got about 40 barrels, give or take. It's in the warehouse, of course."

"And how long will that last?" Cybersix asks.

The type arches his eyebrow. "For _ all_ of us? A month and a half - that's if we take it easy."

A plan begins to form in Cybersix's mind. "Okay. I want to see everyone who could possibly help figure how to make sustenance. Anyone with an education in... chemistry, physics, medicine... And anyone who's ever worked inside the lab."

The crowd begins to mumble again. A small number of people begin pushing their way toward the building's steps. Apparently they've taken her request to mean she wants to see them right now. "Wait." She turns around to Techno 38, who has been standing behind her. "Go get those two humans I was with. Bring them here." She seems to have everyone's cooperation, and she intends to use it to its fullest. If she can assert herself as leader here, she can prevent Lucas and Yashimoto from being hurt.

"Hey, wait," Someone calls. "What about that human who was here before?"

"What human?" Cybersix turns her attention back to the people.

"The little blond man. With the glasses. VonReichter brought him here to help make sustenance."

It's obviously not Lucas or Yashimoto he's talking about. So there's another human here... and one who might have the answers they so desperately need. Cybersix feels hope rise within her.  "Yes. Who is this man? And where is he?"

"His name's Kevin." Techno 38 answers her question. "The last I heard from 20, he bolted after you went berserk. No one's seen him since."

Kevin? Could it be Lucas' friend? How lucky that would be. But no one knows where he is. "Okay, everyone be quiet!" She addresses the crowd. They fall silent almost instantly. "This human might be able to help us. I want everyone to start looking for him. Short, blond, with glasses, right?" She looks to the man who gave the description for confirmation. He nods at her. "And his name's Kevin. Search the whole compound... when I tell you to, not now."

"Cybersix?"

Technos 38 motions towards the doorway to the lab. Lucas and Yashimoto are standing there. It's time to introduce them.

Cybersix turns back to the crowd of creatures, her kin. Things have turned out far better than she ever expected. Now, if they can just find Kevin... She only hopes the man didn't panic and run off into the jungle. If so, he won't last long, and all their hopes for survival could be shattered. 


	23. Sustenance

New Page 2

After the End -Chapter 23

"AHH! Turn off the light!"

Cybersix looks over at Sylvester, cowering on the bed in the corner of the lab. "You need sustenance."

"Duh." His muffled voice emerges from the pillow over his head.

She walks up to him. "So what, now because VonReichter is dead you're going to die too?"

He removes the pillow and looks at her. his face is tear-stained and haggard. "Well what so you expect me to do?" He looks away from her and speaks in a very small voice: "He was my Master, Cybersix. I lived for him. He was so good to me, he loved me-" He breaks off suddenly .

Cybersix sighs. "Sylvester, VonReichter didn't love you."

"Yes he did! He told me so!"

Cybersix feels a pang of sympathy. As much as Sylvester has done some pretty awful things in his time, she knows that the grief he's feeling now is real. She sits down beside him and puts her hand on his shoulder. "Sylvester... must understand you've been brainwashed. VonReichter wanted you to believe he cared about you. He knew that was the best way to control you. You were just a tool to him, like the rest of us."

Sylvester shakes his head. "You don't understand, Cybersix. You didn't see what a great man he was. And... you're not like me. Now leave me alone, please."

She sighs again. She knows it will take months to get through to Sylvester, if it's even possible, and they certainly don't have that much time. She supposes she could force some sustenance on him - but should she? Unfortunately, right now she has more immediate issues to deal with . "Look, I'm going to cremate his body in the incinerator. There's nothing else we can do with it."

He looks up to her. "Oh, let me do it, please. He told me once what he wanted done with his ashes if he ever died." He looks like he's about to cry and again.

Cybersix nods. "Okay, Sylvester. If that's what you want." She quietly leaves the room, going see how Yashimoto's doing.

"Any luck yet?" Cybersix walks up to VonReichter's main computer. 

Yashimoto shakes his head and sighs. "Well I got in all right, but all the files I've found are in German. And there are _ many_ things in here that look like they could be scientific formulas.... at least to me. Maybe Lucas would know better? Where is he?"

"He insisted on going to help search for Kevin. I made Data 7 go with him: I'm still not sure I trust the types." Cybersix looks at the time. It's been almost three hours since she'd mobilized the kin into action: Most of them are now out looking for Kevin. The two oldest types are apparently missing, though - and that has her worried.

"Cybersix!" A now-familiar voice calls from the corridor.

She sighs. "In here, 38." The techno seems to have appointed herself Cybersix's personal assistant. She knows she needs all the help she can get, but sometimes the 38 can be a pain in the neck. She wishes she could have some time to herself to think about everything that's happened. She needs to carefully consider her next move, that's for sure.

"Types 1 and 2 are back. They've got the human Kevin with them, and they're not... happy."

Cybersix blinks, then looks at Yashimotto. "Don't worry. " He tells her. "I'll be fine here by myself." She hesitates, but he makes shooing motions at her.

Cybersix turns to Techno 38, who automatically starts to lead the way.

She takes her to the front foyer of lab building. The two types stand in the doorway, holding a frightened-looking man who must be Kevin between them. Cybersix remembers Type 2 from the fight they had, and Type 1 as one of the ones who beat her up at VonReichter's hideout. She stands and looks at them for a minute, frantically trying to think of how to proceed.

"So it is true." Type 2 breaks the silence. "You killed VonReichter."

"Yes I did. " Cybersix answers quietly. The atmosphere is tense; she can tell the types aren't just going to accept her as leader. She has to be careful or they might hurt Kevin.

"And now," Type 1 continues, "You come waltzing in here and presume to take his place."

"No." She answers, with a bit more feeling than she intended. She tries to soften her tone. "That's the last thing I want to do, believe me. All I did was organize the kin into a search for that man... and you found him."

"We chased him when he first ran off into the jungle." Type 2 says. "But when we were coming back we saw something was wrong, so we hid until we figured out what was going on."

Cybersix weighs her words . "Well, I'm glad you brought him back. We need him - all of us, that is - he can make sustenance so all of us can live." She looks the man Kevin in the eye. She's not sure if he actually does know how to make sustenance, but it's a useful deception for now. He wisely keeps his mouth shut. "Now let's, um, take him to the lab so he can show us how it's done."

"I don't think so." Type 1 says darkly. "Why should we listen to you, when we're the ones holding the human?"

Cybersix closes her eyes and sighs. Suddenly she's tired of all this - tired of trying to direct technos who can't think for themselves, tired of trying to placate a bunch of confused and worried fixed ideas. Nevertheless, she summons patience; anger and haste could get her killed here. "I'm not here to be your slave driver like VonReichter was. Believe me when I say I have no desire to be like him; I'm one of the ones who rebelled against him in the first place, remember?"

"Then what are you doing ordering everybody around?" Type 1 demands.

"You're forgetting something." She answers calmly. "We're both in the same boat now; I need sustenance just as badly as you do. None of us will live very long if we don't find the secret to it. We have a common enemy now that we'll need to be unified to fight; time."  Type 2 looks like she's beginning to listen; Type 1 still looks skeptical. "All I did," Cybersix goes on. "Was get everyone organized so we can find out how to make sustenance - and save all of our lives - as soon as possible."

"You know," Techno 38 speaks up; Cybersix has forgotten she's there. "Cybersix could have stolen some of our sustenance and taken it to another human scientist who could make it for her. But she didn't; she stayed here with us instead." Suddenly Cybersix is glad she's there.

Type 2 glances at her brother. "The techno has a point. And... don't you remember... Master told us that the Cybers were the closest of all the kin to types."

Type 1 sighs. "All right, we'll do things your way. But just remember; there's 30 of us and only one of you." Finally the two types let go of Kevin. The human walks over to stand beside Cybersix, passing her a grateful glance on the way.

Cybersix turns to Techno 38. "Go spread the word that Kevin's been found."  She looks at Kevin. Many lives depend on him, she realizes, - and she's just been treating him like some kind of commodity. "Nice to finally meet you, Kevin."

He obviously wasn't expecting the greeting. "Um, you too, Cybersix. Lucas has told me a lot about you. He... uh, speaks very highly of you."

She absorbs that comment. "Lucas was out looking for you; he should be back soon." He nods. "Kevin... _ do_ you know how to make sustenance?"

He takes a breath. "Well, not exactly. I think I know how, but I've never actually done it."

Everyone is silent for a moment. Then Cybersix asks: "Will you try, to help us?"

He nods almost imperceptibly. "I'll do the best I can."

A few hours later, Cybersix, the two types, Kevin and Yashimotto are all in VonReichter's main lab. Lucas and Data 7 have just walked in.

"Kevin! I can't believe VonReichter kidnapped you!" Lucas exclaims.

"Yes. It seems like I've been here for months. That lunatic scientist was looking over my shoulder constantly.... It's been the most stressful time of my life." Kevin half-smiles, a little sheepishly. "But at least things turned out for the best... or as good as possible under the circumstances."

"Kevin, do you think he can explain to us how sustenance works?"

"Well..." He glances from Cybersix to the types and back again. "It has two active components. The main one is extremely close to, but not exactly, human ACTH - that is, adrenocorticotropic hormone."

"You mean like adrenaline?" Yashimotto asks.

Kevin shakes his head. "No. It's the hormone that the pituitary releases to stimulate the adrenal glands to produce cortisol - which is your daily stress hormone. You see, adrenalin is only released in emergency situations; cortisol - and its close relatives, cortisone and corticosterone - are released every day. They are necessary to survive."

"What do they do? What sorts of things do they effect?"

"What don't they effect would be a better question. Let's see... directly, the metabolizing of carbohydrates and the control of blood sugar levels, the break down and synthesis of protein, maintenance of blood pressure, and of course suppression of allergies and inflammation, which cortisol all is famous for. Indirectly, overall metabolism, appetite, memory, electrolyte and fluid balance, muscle strength, mood, ability to cope with stress... The first thing you learn about the endocrine system is that it's one big web: everything affects everything else. 

"Wow." Cybersix says quietly after a minute. "So sustenance does all that for us." She suppresses a surge of disappointment. She had always liked to think that her superhuman abilities weren't simply a result of taking sustenance; that they were intrinsic to her own body. And Kevin had said 'necessary to survive...'  "So you think sustenance is what gives us all our extra strength?" 

"That would be the logical assumption, but the truth is I don't know. All I know for sure is that your physiology is definitely different from ours. Sustenance wouldn't work on a human - first of all, the dose is too high, but there are a lot more complications besides that." 

"You said there were two components." Lucas speaks up. "What's the other one?"

"Oh, yes. That would be the addictive chemical."

"The what?"

Kevin grins sheepishly again. "I didn't know bout this before, VonReichter told me. He said he created a chemical that his creatures have a particular vulnerability to - one that's highly addictive to them but they can't build up a tolerance for. You see, suddenly being without ACTH could be fatal, so VonReichter added an addictive component to sustenance so that his people would feel withdrawal from it right away. They'd come to him for more before their lives became endangered."

"So really there's nothing in sustenance that they absolutely need to live. " Lucas says. "We could wean them off both the addictive chemical and the hormone slowly. Their bodies would begin making ACTH on their own again, wouldn't they?"

"That would be true for normal humans, although the process would be very long and difficult. But like I said, VonReichter's creatures are different; it's possible they can't produce the correct hormones on their own. It could be a flaw in their make-up VonReichter couldn't fix."

"But it is possible, right? At least in theory?" Cybersix questions eagerly.

"Well, yes."

Suddenly she feels a lot better. "Do you know how to make just the ACTH?"

"Yes. That's relatively easy."

"Then do that, please. I personally will go without the addictive chemical from now on. Then I'll try being weaned off the hormone."

Cybersix's words are brave; doing all that will be a tall order even for a superhuman. But Lucas knows without a doubt she can do it. He begins to see light in the future - hope for her life... Maybe even for their life together. 


	24. Epilogue

New Page 2

After the End - Epilogue

1. Love  
(Two days after VonReichter's death)

"Lucas?"

The sun is setting on the golden-tinged jungle. Lucas is sitting on a rock by a small stream that flows by the compound. He turns to see Cybersix's form silhouetted against the light. He silently moves over. She comes to sit beside him.

"It seems," He says quietly. "That things are finally starting to calm down."

"Yes." Cybersix looks at the sparkling water. A stillness has entered her... she has imagined this moment of hundred times, but never guessed that she would be so calm.

"Lucas?"

"Yes?"

"I was speaking to Rue today... she told me something... the answer to the question we've both wanted to know."

He looks into her eyes, curiosity lighting in his.

"She told me that types... and Cybers, and all the others... can be with humans safely. They've done it before."

"They can?... Are you saying...?"

"Of course that's what I'm saying. " Cybersix finishes for him. She puts her hand in his and looks him into his eyes. "I want to be with you, Lucas."

Lucas blinks. He's dreamt so often of hearing those words so many times it takes a moment for him to process that they're real. "You do? But do you mean... now?" 

"Yes now. Why wait any longer? I still have a lot of work to do here, Lucas, but it can wait until tomorrow."

Lucas stands up, still holding her hand. "You mean we. _ We_ have a lot of work to do."

Cybersix smiles at him. She also stands up and together they walk back toward the buildings.

2. Loss  
(Four days after VonReichter's death)

"Goodbye, Yashimoto. Thanks for all your help."

Yashimoto looks out of the hatch of the small plane and waves at her. "You're welcome, Cybersix. I'll see you when you get back to Merridiana." He disappears into the plane's interior.

Cybersix stands back as the plane starts down the short runway. She trusts the techno who's flying Yashimoto home - and that's a good feeling.

When the plane is gone, she starts back toward the compound's main residence, walking along a narrow, twisting path. Her mind instantly becomes absorbed in everything she has to do - the distribution of sustenance has become a major headache, and-

She stops on the path looks behind her. There, almost completely hidden in the shadow of the canopy, a pair of feet are sticking out beside a massive tree. Somewhat reluctantly, she walks back to take a look.

It's Sylvester. He's lying on his side, curled up in a ball. Cybersix leans down to check him over, but deep inside she already knows what's wrong.

He's dead. _ You should've seen this coming._ _ You shouldn't be surprised. _ She looks more closely at the body: There are no apparent injuries, no clue as to how Sylvester killed himself. Could he have died from lack of sustenance, after so short a time? She knows for certain his last dose was only four days ago... No, that doesn't make sense.

She notices that Sylvester is clutching something shiny in his two hands. VonReichter's monocle.

There's only one other explanation as to why he died. Was it possible for humans to die of grief? Ah, but Sylvester wasn't human, and Cybersix is sure it was possible for him.

So VonReichter has claimed another life. And, in Sylvester's case, a soul as well.

Guilt rushes over her like a wave. Once again she remembers Sylvester as a small child; caring, gentle, sensitive. Almost too open for his own good. Why didn't she notice the crisis he was in? Why hadn't she done more to help? She should have seen this coming.

All because of VonReichter's brainwashing, or training, or whatever it was he'd done to turn a spirit that was so much good into one who did so much evil.

But that's it, she realizes. Sylvester _ had_ been too much good. Even when he had willingly served VonReichter he hadn't been evil. He'd been acting out of love.

She sighs, the guilt in her heart turning to resigned sorrow. She picks up Sylvester's body - it's already starting to get stiff - and continues down the path.

Soon she encounters the fixed idea who's standing guard near the entrance of the compound proper. He watches her coming curiously. "Is Sylvester hurt?" He asks.

"No, 55." Cybersix answers quietly. "He's dead."

The fixed idea looks confused, then his face turns fearful. "We all gonna die, right? Can't live without Master."

"Oh, no." She tries to reassure him. "Sylvester wanted to die. You don't have to die if you don't want to."

"Why did Sylvester die?"

"Because... because he was lonely for Master."

F.I. 55 looks down at the body. "Poor Sylvester."

"Yes. " Cybersix agrees. Fixed ideas can be very succinct sometimes.

3. Struggle  
(One week after VonReichter's death)

With an effort, Cybersix slowly lifts her head from the damp pillow. She closes her eyes as the room spins. Her head throbs and every nerve feels like it's on fire. She forces her eyes open to see Lucas' shadowed form in front of her, holding a small glass of water. He puts his hand behind her back and starts to raise the glass to her lips. She determinedly grabs the glass from his hand and drinks from it herself.

She wasn't expecting it to be this bad. It angers her that , even after his death,  VonReichter still has the power to bring her to such a weakened state. But she will triumph in the end. She will.

She looks over at the light peeking out from beneath the edges of the window blind. Daylight again. She takes comfort in the fact that time is indeed passing. Kevin told her that the worst should be over in 48 hours - but then, he'd been talking about for humans.

She hands the glass back to Lucas. A wry smile forms on her face as she reminds herself how everyone has tried to talk her out of this. Quitting an addiction cold turkey was hard on the body, Kevin had said. Obviously. But she didn't care - she still doesn't. It needed to be done, and this is the fastest way to do it.

Kevin had questioned why she even wanted to get off the sustenance in the first place; he was close to figuring out how to make the addictive component, he said, and then he could teach Lucas or anyone else to make it: She would finally be self-sufficient. But that wasn't really true. As long as she still needed sustenance, she would be dependent on whomever could make it, and even if that person is a friend it would still be a dependency. She just wants to be totally free, not needing anything but food and water - like normal people.

Lucas had then brought up the fact that, with a little effort, she could learn to make sustenance herself. But then there would be the problem of getting the ingredients, and she's sure that VonReichter got most if not all of his supplies illegally. She will not go on doing what he did. And if she uses her superhuman "powers" as a result, so be it.

She lies back down and closes her eyes. An image of a vial of bright green liquid appears in front of her closed lids. Sustenance... how she hates it. All her life it has been the monkey on her back, the presence of Death at her shoulder, the hand of VonReichter hovering above her head. No, rational or not, she wants to be rid of it once and for all.

4. Hope  
(Two weeks after VonReichter's death)

Cybersix straps herself into her seat. entering the plane, Lucas sits down beside her in does the same. He smiles at her, then reaches over to take her hand. She smiles back. It's amazing how much has changed between them since they made love. But then no, she thinks. Lucas' feelings toward her haven't changed one bit; the difference now she's finally able to acknowledge them for what they are - and return them.

Across the aisle of the tiny plane, Data 7 lies down between the two rows of seats. He insisted on coming, even though the trip would be awkward for him: he wants to see Julian again, Cybersix knows.

"I've never been one of these planes before. It just seems so flimsy." Kevin says nervously from the front seat.

"It flies just fine." Techno 55 assures him tiredly.

Lucas grins at Cybersix. "We are in so much trouble when we get back." He whispers.

"I know. " They'd both called into work to say that they couldn't finish out the semester. Their boss had, of course, demanded explanations. He'd wanted to speak to both of them personally. He wasn't thrilled when they'd told him that was impossible. More than likely the two of them - and Kevin, for that matter - have now lost their jobs.

That knowledge doesn't bother Cybersix at all, not in light of everything else that's happened.

She's been off the addictive component of sustenance for eight days now. She's still going through periods of withdrawal, but they're tolerable. She's going to make it - and in another week she's going to start dealing with the hormone.

It's an obstacle surmounted, but only one of many. Despite her best efforts to get them to try and find someone else, the kin had still pleaded with her to be their leader. Finally she'd relented and accepted the job. She has numerous challenges ahead of her; unraveling VonReichter's network of illegal activities, not to mention turning a bunch of amoral drones into respectable, independent citizens. But even if it takes her whole life, she's going to do it. To run way would be cowardly; to tell all her kin to fend for themselves would be cold. Cybersix wouldn't do either of those things, and no matter what Cybersix will stay true to herself.


End file.
